Polish Border Guard mild patrol plane noticed flying near the border with Belarus for 2 consecutive days after Belarusian helicopters intrusion.
With current tensions between Poland and Belarus rising as a consequence of the alleged intrusion of two Belarusian helicopters into the Polish airspace, a Polish Border Guard L-410 Turbolet has been noticed flying close to the Polish-Belarusian border over the previous few days. SN-61YG (#193301, beforehand SP-VST) is considered one of two Turbolets operated by the Polish Border Guard (Straż Graniczna – SG)
On Jul. 27, 2023 an irregular flight of the plane was famous approaching the border south of Białystok was first famous. The plane was first seen approaching the border and turning its transponder off for roughly two hours till reappearing headed northwest again to its base in Gdańsk. This was initially assumed to be a mere transponder error and was promptly disregarded.
Nevertheless, it isn’t till not too long ago that the plane’s motion was famous to be consideration worthy. The Turbolet was noticed once more on August 2 at round 22:16 native time approaching the Belarus border once more. As soon as extra, it took over two hours earlier than showing again on ADSBExchange.com headed again to its base.
Final night time on August 3, the plane subsequently went on the identical mission, going darkish between 22:24 to 00:47 native time. The close to an identical mission profile executed on two consecutive days is noteworthy because the plane is operated beneath the Central Authorities Company relatively than a department of the Navy Air Arms.
The plane in query
The plane concerned within the surveillance operation is an LET L-410 UVP-E20. Two of the patrol plane had been not too long ago transferred to the Polish Border Guard service in Gdańsk. The Turbolet was designed for patrolling and monitoring site visitors on land, sea, and air by utilising an Osprey 30 radar together with an L3 MX-15 EO/IR digital camera. The AESA Osprey 30 is can be discovered on the British HM Coastguard Beechcraft King Air and AHRLAC.
This particular plane SN-61YG additionally occurs to be the identical plane that was beforehand concerned in a incursion with a Russian Su-35. Again in Might 5, 2023 the plane was on a Frontex patrol mission over the Black Sea when it was intercepted by a Russian Sukhoi 60km East of Romanian airspace, over worldwide waters.
Whereas the Border Guard operates two of the patrol plane; SN-61YG and SN-62YG, the latter appears to have been out of motion for the final week. As a result of varied change in plane designation, monitoring down Polish plane has been pretty complicated. In 2002, all Polish plane modified their prefix from PL-XXXX to SN-XXXX. As a result of Border Guards being beneath the Central Authorities and being an official state entity, it subsequently modified their prefix from SN-XXXX to SP-XXXX in 2011. Nevertheless, in 2014 the prefix was reinstated to SN-XXXX, when all plane had their earlier license plate revived. On account of this complicated bureaucratic transfer, our plane in query (SN-61YG, serial no. 193301) beforehand bared the license plate SP-VSU in addition to OK-JRZ when it was first flown in from the Czech Republic. Though not seen not too long ago, the opposite L-410 pair SN-62YG (193301) beforehand sported SP-VST and OK-JRY. Whereas this may occasionally have been a slight tangent, the creator believes that no concise data of the historical past of registration adjustments had been made broadly identified and hopes it’ll support different spotters sooner or later.
Stress between Poland and Belarus continues to extend
As Wagner troops transfer nearer East in Belarus, the stress between the Russian puppet state and Poland is growing daily. Therefore, each small motion of both facet must be monitored with nice warning. Whereas Polish Air Drive plane together with NATO plane had been often noticed close to the border, these collection of occasions marked an exception the place a authorities plane was concerned. Whereas this alone might recommend a mere ISR patrol operation, it may be deduced that Poland is utilizing all its forces at its disposal throughout its most heightened state. Till the state of affairs deescalates, the involvement of the uncommon L-410 plane is anticipated to change into extra widespread.
Wonwoo is a pupil journalist and contributor to The Aviationist primarily based in London, United Kingdom. Presently finding out MEng in Aeronautical Engineering with a eager curiosity in OSINT, airplane recognizing and plane design. He’s a former Sergeant of the Republic of Korea Military, having served as an artillery Fireplace Course Centre Automobile Radio Operator.
