Polish Air Defence Force

The Polish Air Defence Force - was one of the four branches of the Polish People's Army in the years 1962–1990, along with the Polish Land Forces, Polish Air Force and the Navy.

History

The Air Defence Force was intended for the defence of the population, troops and economically and strategically important military and administrative-state facilities located on the territory of the country, against enemy air attack. Their organization was modeled on the Soviet Armed Forces, and they were included in the air defence system of the Warsaw Pact countries. OPK troops constituted an important element of the country's territorial defence forces, which also included units of land forces and the Navy.
The three Air Defence Corps were all established in 1957.
On July 1, 1990, the Air Defence Force and the Air Force merged into the Air Force and Air Defense Troops. The unified armed service took over the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Air Defence Corps as well as the 4th Air Corps established in the beginning of 1990 as a command of the Air Force's combat units of equal status to the 3 air defence corps. The 1st Air Defence Corps was disestablished in 1998, and the 2nd and 3rd Corps in 2007. Currently, after another reorganization and name change, the tasks of these troops are performed by Air Force units.

Force structure in 1989

Territorial Air Defence Troops Command, in Warsaw

directly subordinated
*Central Command Post of the WOPK, in Warsaw
* WOPK Communications Node, in Warsaw
*WOPK Supply Unit, in Warsaw
*4th Air Base, at Warsaw - Babice
*1st Regiment for Radioelectronic Intelligence "Capt. Władysław Pietrusiak", in Ogrodzieniec near Grójec
**1st Battalion for Radioelectronic Intelligence, in Dłużyna Górna near Zgorzelec
* 3rd Regiment for Radioelectronic Jamming, in Lidzbark Warmiński
*14th Battalion for Radioelectronic Intelligence, in Słupsk
*Higher Radiotechnical Officer School "Capt. Sylwester Bartosik", in Jelenia Góra
*WOPK School for Training of Radiotechnical Specialists, in Chorzów
*WOPK Specialists Training Center "Wojciech Kętrzyński", in Bemowo Piskie
1st Air Defence Corps, in Warsaw
*Command Post of the 1st ADC, in Warsaw
*42nd Liaison Air Squadron, in Warsaw Babice
*1st WOPK "Warsaw" Fighter Air Regiment "Brig. Gen. Stefan Pawlikowski" - MiG-29/UB, MiG-21M/PFM/U, in Mińsk Mazowiecki Air Base
*10th WOPK Fighter Air Regiment "People's Partizans of the Krakow Lands" - MiG-21PFM/M/MF/UM, in Łask Air Base
*3rd WOPK Łużycką Artillery Brigade ), in Warsaw
**83rd Air Defence Command Battalion, in Warsaw Citadel
**inner Warsaw defensive ring, initially S-75 Dvina, later upgraded to S-75M Volkhov:
***2nd Missile Air Defence Battalion, near Czosnów
***3rd Missile Air Defence Battalion, between Nadarzyn and Otrębusy near Pruszków
***4th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Baniocha near Góra Kalwaria
***5th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Słupno near Radzymin
***1st Technical Air Defence Battalion, in Książenice near Grodzisk Mazowiecki
**outer Warsaw defensive ring S-75M Volkhov battalions:
***6th Missile Air Defence Battalion, at Chrcynno airfield, Nasielsk near Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki
***7th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Pustelnik near Sulejówek
***8th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Lesznowola near Grójec
***9th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Teresin near Sochaczew
***10th Technical Air Defence Battalion, in Struga near Marki
**S-125M Neva battalions:
***60th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Chotomów near Olszewnica Stara
***61st Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Małocice near Czosnów
***62nd Missile Air Defence Battalion, between Borzęcin Duży and Mariew near Stare Babice
***63rd Missile Air Defence Battalion, between Nadarzyn and Rusiec near Pruszków
*1st WOPK Radiotechnical Brigade, in Warsaw-Babice
**3rd Sandomierski Radiotechnical Battalion, in Sandomierz
**4th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Radiowo
**7th Łaski Radiotechnical Battalion, in Wiewiórczyn
**8th Szczycieński Radiotechnical Battalion, in Lipowiec
2nd Air Defence Corps, in Bydgoszcz
* Command Post of the 1st ADC, in Bydgoszcz
*43rd Liaison Air Squadron, in Bydgoszcz
*26th WOPK Fighter Air Regiment ), in Zegrze Pomorskie Air Base
*28th WOPK Słupski Fighter Air Regiment - MiG-23MF/UB, in Słupsk
*34th WOPK Fighter Air Regiment "Heroes of Kępa Oksywska" - MiG-21bis/UM, Gdynia-Babie Doły Air Base
*19th WOPK Target-Towing Air Squadron, in Słupsk - Yak-40
*4th WOPK Artillery Brigade "Defenders of the Coast", in Gdynia
**84th Air Defence Command Battalion, in Gdynia-Grabówek
**Gdynia and Gdańsk defensive ring missile battalions armed with S-75M Volkhov:
***21st Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Puck
***22nd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Hel on Hel Peninsula
***23rd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Wyspa Sobieszewska near Gdańsk
***24th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Babi Dół near Kartuz
***25th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Dąbrówka near Luzino
***26th Technical Air Defence Battalion, in Bieszkowice near Wejherowo
**defensive line along the Baltic coast:
***S-75M Wołchow:
***44th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Ustka
***45th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Smołdzinie
***46th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Choczewo near Wejherowo
***S-125M Neva:
***64th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Hel Bór on the Hel Peninsula
***65th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Rozewie near Władysławowo
***68th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Łeba near Lębork
***69th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Rowy near Ustka
*26th WOPK Artillery Brigade, in Gryfice
**82nd Air Defence Command Battalion, in Gryfice
**Szczecin defensive ring missile battalions armed with S-75M Volkhov:
***36th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Dobra near Police
***37th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Glicko near Nowogard
***38th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Bielkowo near Stargard Szczeciński
***39th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Czarnówko near Gryfino
**defensive line along the Baltic coast:
***missile battalions armed with S-75M Volkhov:
***40th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Kołczewo
***42nd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Ustronie Morskie
***43rd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Dąbki near Darłowo Naval Air Base
***missile battalions armed with S-125M Neva:
***41st Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Mrzeżyno
***66th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Wicko Morskie near Słupsk Air Base
***67th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Unieście near Koszalin
***70th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Łunowo near Świnoujście
***71st Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Pobierowo near Gryfice
**78th WOPK 78th Missile Air Defence Regiment, in Mrzeżyno - S-200 missile system
***Command Battalion
***1st Firing Battalion
***2nd Firing Battalion
***Technical Battalion
*2nd WOPK Radiotechnical Brigade, in Bydgoszcz
**21st Radiotechnical Battalion, in Władysławowo
**22nd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Chojnice
**23rd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Słupsk
**27th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Witkowo Pyrzyckie
**28th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Gryfice
**11th Radiotechnical Company, in Chruściel
3rd Air Defence Corps in Wrocław
*Command Post of the 1st ADC, in Wrocław
*44th Liaison Air Squadron, in Wrocław - Strachowice Air Base
*11th WOPK Brandenburski Fighter Air Regiment "Lower Silesian Settlers" - MiG-21MF/UM, in Wrocław - Strachowice Air Base
*39th WOPK Fighter Air Regiment, in Mierzęcice
*62nd WOPK Fighter Air Regiment "Greater Poland Revolutionaries" - MiG-21 PFM/MF/US, in Poznań-Krzesiny Air Base
*1st WOPK Artillery Brigade "Silesian Revolutionaries", in Bytom
**81st Air Defence Command Battalion, in Bytom
**group located northwest of Gliwice :
***11th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Kuźnia Raciborska
***12th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Zimna Wódka near Strzelce Opolskie
***13th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Lubliniec
***14th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Woźniki Śląskie
***19th Technical Battalion, in Toszek near Gliwice
**group located southeast of Katowice :
***15th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Ciągowice near Zawiercie
***16th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Bukowno
***17th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Libiąż lub Chełmek near Oświęcim
***18th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Kobiór near Pszczyna
***20th Technical Battalion, in Hutki near Olkusz
**group of S-125M Neva battalions located southwest of Gliwice and Katowice:
***72nd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Lędziny near Oświęcim
***73rd Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Bujaków near Oświęcim
***74th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Ostropa near Gliwice
***75th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Przezchlebie near Gliwice
*79th WOPK Separate Missile Air Defence Regiment, in Poznań
**S-75M Volkhov battalions:
***28th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Trzcielin near Stęszew
***29th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Nieczajna near Oborniki
***30th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Trzaskowo near Murowana Goślina
***31st Kórnicki Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Czołowo near Kórnik
***32nd Technical Battalion, in Biedrusko near Poznań
**S-125 Neva battalions:
***76th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Chomęcice
***77th Missile Air Defence Battalion, in Złotkowo
*3rd WOPK Radiotechnical Brigade, in Wrocław
**31st Radiotechnical Battalion, in Poznań-Babki
**32nd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Szczawno
**33rd Radiotechnical Battalion, in Radzionków
**35th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Pietrzykowice
**36th Radiotechnical Battalion, in Kraków-Węgrzce