Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group

The mission of Detachment 1 is to foster bilateral defense ties, enhance regional security, and increase interoperability among NATO allies through combined training exercises with periodic rotational aircraft.

On June 13, 2011, the United States and Poland signed a Memorandum of Understanding, establishing a U.S. Air Force aviation detachment in Poland. Det 1 personnel, who began arriving in October 2012, are stationed in Poland on a continual basis. Together with a rotational deployment of U.S. military aircraft beginning in 2013, they form the basis of an enduring partnership. The goal of this increased cooperation between the United States and Polish Air Forces is to strengthen interoperability as NATO Allies through regular combined training exercises and military-to-military engagement.

Four annual aircraft rotations will primarily consist of F-16 or C-130 aircraft which will conduct a minimum of two weeks of flying per rotation. Two of the four rotations are intended to be with U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft. U.S. and Polish officials continue to work on implementing arrangements which will further detail the cooperation, such as coordinating the objectives for each rotation. The men and women of both the U.S. and Polish Air Forces will benefit from participation in bilateral and multinational training exercises, which will also support meeting NATO requirements and enhance collective security. Razem Silniejsi -- Stronger Together!

The detachment is located at Łask Air Base, south of the city of Łódź, Poland. The unit's parent wing is the 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany.