Poland Decommissioning Last Mi-14PL

The Polish Navy is saying goodbye to the last Soviet anti-submarine helicopter Mi-14PL.

Polska Zbrojna media outlet reported this news.

12 helicopters of this type began service in the Polish Navy in the 1980s. According to Polish pilots, at that time it was one of the best helicopters designed to fight submarines.

During their forty years of service, these helicopters were repeatedly modernized by Polish companies. In particular, the ability to use sonars and acoustic buoys was added.

According to the pilots who operated these helicopters, they could still be used, but the airframe, communication and control systems have already worn out. Therefore, the last helicopter of this type will be decommissioned on August 31, 2025.

To replace them, in April 2019, Poland signed an agreement with the Italian company Leonardo to purchase four AW101 helicopters in the anti-submarine version.

These helicopters are designed to fight submarines and can carry out search and rescue operations. The deal was worth $428 million. The helicopters were manufactured in the UK and partially in Poland at PZL-Świdnik, a Leonardo-owned company.

In addition to the new aircraft, Poland also received a logistics package, and a modern service center for AW101 maintenance was launched in Lodz.

The first AW101 arrived in Poland in August 2023. Before being handed over to the military, the AW101 is delivered to the Polish aircraft manufacturer PZL-Świdnik, where it undergoes Polish certification. The remaining three AW101s were delivered by the end of the third quarter of 2023.

The AW101s destined for Poland were additionally equipped with the French FLASH sonar system from Thales, which is currently one of the most advanced sonars on the international market. It provides long-range target detection with wide sector coverage and low false alarm rates in the open ocean as well as in coastal waters.

The order for the anti-submarine helicopters launched close cooperation between Poland and Leonardo. In the summer of 2022, the Polish government approved a contract for the purchase of 32 AW149 helicopters to replace the Mi-2 in the Land Forces.

And in June 2024, PZL-Świdnik opened a production line for AW149 helicopters. The production of the first AW149 helicopter for the Polish Armed Forces was completed in March 2025.