33rd Air Base

The 33rd Air Base (Polish: 33. Baza Lotnicza) is a Polish Air Force base, located near Powidz. The base functions within the structure of the Polish Air Force and is part of the three wings of Powidz air transport command.

33rd Air Base
33. Baza Lotnicza
Near Powidz, Słupca County in Poland
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorPolish Air Force
Site history
Built2010 (2010)
In use1 July 2010 – present
Garrison information
Current
commander		Colonel Miroslaw Łusiarczyk
Garrison14th Airlift Squadron
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: EPPW
Elevation267 feet (81 m) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
10L/28R 8,999 feet (2,743 m) Asphalt
10R/28L 11,532 feet (3,515 m) Asphalt

History

The base was officially constituted in January 2000 as the 21st airbase, replacing the disbanded 7th Bomber-Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment. It was redesignated to its current name in January 2001.[1] In 2010, the 2nd Airlift Squadron disbanded and its units were distributed among the newly formed units of the 33rd Air Base.[2]

US military
U.S. Army M2A3 and M1A2s at the Long Term Equipment Storage and Maintenance-Complex opening ceremony, April 2023

From the summer of 2019, the base will be the site of a depot and storage site for United States Army combat vehicles in Poland. It will be mostly funded by NATO's NATO Security Investment Program, and cost around US$210m, with the USA's component capped at around 20-25%.[3]

The US Army Corps of Engineers made an industry solicitation in 2018 requesting tree-cutting services for 38 hectares (94 acres) around the base. Two US investments could be sacrificed to pay for President Trump's border wall with Mexico: A bulk fuel storage facility at US$21m, and a "rail extension and railhead" project budgeted at US$14m.[3]

References
  1. Wroński, Paweł (23 August 2012), "Hercules na ratunek" [Hercules to the rescue], Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish), Warszawa: Agora (5), ISSN 0860-908X
  2. "2 eskadra lotnictwa transportowo-łącznikowego". jednostki-wojskowe.pl. Retrieved 30 March 2019.
  3. NATO foots bill for massive US combat depot in Poland, Sebastian Sprenger, Defense News, 2019-03-29

52°22′53″N 17°51′04″E


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