Polish ex-envoy voices skepticism over US-made F-35 jets
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
13.06.2019 15:00
A former Polish ambassador to Washington has voiced skepticism over his country’s efforts to buy cutting-edge F-35 fighter jets from the United States, questioning the aircraft's capabilities and price, news media have noted.
US First Lady Melania Trump, US President Donald Trump, Polish President Andrzej Duda, and Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda watch a flyover by US Lockheed Martin F-35 planes from the White House South Lawn in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: EPA/SHAWN THEW
Speaking during a television talk show on Wednesday, Ryszard Schnepf cited Russian propaganda mouthpiece Sputnik as claiming that a Soviet-era fighter jet was superior to the modern US-designed F-35, Polish public broadcaster TVP Info pointed out.
“Looking for data on the F-35, I saw what Sputnik wrote ... arguing that the Soviet Su-55, I believe, is better and half the price,” Schnepf commented to Polish private broadcaster TVN 24, as quoted by state-run TVP Info on its website.
Schnepf, who served as Poland’s ambassador to the United States from 2012 to 2016, was talking to TVN 24 host Monika Olejnik as Polish President Andrzej Duda was meeting US leader Donald Trump in Washington, TVP Info said.
Trump told reporters at a joint news conference with Duda on Wednesday that he “was very pleased” that Poland last month “announced the intent to purchase 32 American-made F-35 fighter aircraft.”
Poland's wp.pl news website has noted that the country wants to buy 32 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets from the United States.
The cost of one such jet is around USD 80 million, wp.pl reported.
In a rare event, the White House on Wednesday conducted a flyover of two F-35 aircraft for the Polish president, whose country is taking steps to replace its fleet of worn-out Soviet-era machines.
Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak this week visited Eglin Air Force Base in western Florida to see modern F-35 jets in action.
Błaszczak last month said that Poland “sent a request for a quotation … to our American partners regarding the purchase of 32 F-35A aircraft together with a logistics and training package.”
(gs/pk)
Source: tvp.info, wp.pl