Chasing Fitters in Poland
The retirement of the Sukhoi Su-22 by the Polish Air Force marks the end of an era for Cold War aviation in Europe. Poland officially withdrew its remaining Su-22s in September 2025, ending 41 years of operational service with the type and making it the final European operator of the Soviet-designed “Fitter.”
The Su-22 was the export version of the Sukhoi Su-17 family, designed for low-level strike missions, battlefield interdiction, reconnaissance, and close air support. Its defining feature was its variable-geometry “swing wing,” which allowed pilots to optimize the aircraft for high-speed penetration or slower, more stable low-altitude attack runs. During the Cold War, these aircraft formed a major component of Warsaw Pact tactical airpower, especially in Eastern Europe.
Poland first received Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K variants in 1984 and eventually operated around 120 examples. Even after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact and Poland’s entry into NATO, the rugged aircraft remained in service because of their reliability, ease of maintenance, and ability to employ large stocks of Soviet-era air-to-ground munitions.
In their final years, the Fitters primarily served in secondary attack and training roles while Poland modernized its air force around newer Western aircraft, including the KAI FA-50 Fighting Eagle, Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon, and eventually the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.
The final farewell ceremonies included commemorative flypasts over former Su-22 operating bases such as Mirosławiec, Świdwin, and Piła. Several aircraft received special retirement paint schemes celebrating the jet’s 1984–2025 Polish service life.
While the Su-22 has disappeared from European military inventories, the type still survives in limited numbers elsewhere around the world, including operators in countries such as Angola, Vietnam, and Iran.
A recent journey with The Centre of Aviation Photography to Poland offered a rare and rapidly fading opportunity to photograph some of the last operational Sukhoi SU-22 Fitters before their retirement.
We had three full days scheduled at Mirosławiec Military Air Base, giving us some flexibility in case things didn’t go to plan. But as luck — and good planning — would have it, everything aligned perfectly.
Three solid days of flying operations, incredible access, and stunning weather. Simply… WOW. It was more than any of us could have hoped for.
Was it worth the trek from Australia?
Absolutely. Great people, unforgettable memories — and we got the prize.
Was it worth the trek from Australia?
Absolutely. Great people, unforgettable memories — and we got the prize.
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