Flying high: Costly skies for Poland's fighter jets
The cost of operating an F-16 fighter jet for one hour is several thousands of dollars. This figure includes fuel and technical maintenance. For comparison, the hourly cost of flying an FA-50 is approximately half that amount, according to estimates.
The Polish air fleet includes 48 F-16 fighters and several MiG-29s from the Soviet era. As reported by "Business Insider," F-16s are the most commonly used, and the cost of flying them for an hour is about CAD 27,000. This cost covers both fuel and technical maintenance expenses.
What contributes to the cost of flying the F-16?
During a flight, the F-16 consumes roughly 2,800 litres of JET-A1 fuel, which is priced at about $0.79 (CAD 1.10) per litre. Additional expenses include engineering and aviation maintenance.
How do the costs compare for other aircraft? "Business Insider" reports that:
- For the MiG-29, the hourly flight cost exceeds CAD 34,500,
- and it's even more expensive for the F-35—ranging from CAD 44,000 to CAD 50,000 per hour.
Reportedly, the Operational Command of the Armed Forces is reticent to disclose the number of combat flights, complicating efforts to understand operational costs fully.
Polish F-16 fighters to be upgraded
The U.S. State Department has approved the upgrade of 48 Polish F-16 fighters to the newer Viper variant at an estimated cost of CAD 10.1 billion. This modification is necessary as these aircraft have reached half of their anticipated service life.
Introduced in 2012, the modernization includes an advanced radar, improved onboard computer and avionics, guidance systems, electronic warfare systems, and enhanced control panels in the cockpit.
