- In summer 2026, the first of eight Polish helicopter pilots will begin general training in the UK under the auspices of the Nato Flight Training Europe (NFTE) programme
- Likewise, two experienced Polish pilots will facilitate this joint training at RAF Shawbury, preparing students for their future roles flying attack helicopters
- Training will be simulated in a virtual environment, with no live fire exercises
In a visit to Downing Street yesterday (14 January), the UK and Polish leaders, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and President Karol Nawrocki, respectively, agreed to train pilots more closely in attack helicopter tactics, particularly when it comes to their ability to “shoot down” a range of air and missile threats.
In the summer of 2026, the first of eight Polish military helicopter pilots will begin training in the UK under the auspices of the NFTE programme. Likewise, two experienced Polish military helicopter pilots will facilitate joint training at RAF Shawbury from October 2026.
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However, it is understood that this training will encompass wider helicopter skills, even though the UK Government states that it intends to prepare students for their future roles flying attack helicopters.
Aligning platforms
Both European militaries currently operate AH-64E Apache attack helicopters.
According to intelligence from analytics company GlobalData, the British Army fly 16 Apache Es and 31 more that have undertaken software upgrades in the latest Version 6 development.
Meanwhile, Polish pilots currently operate 28 Soviet-era Mi-24D/V attack helicopters and leased older AH-64Ds; but Polish pilots are waiting to transition to the AH-64E variant, having procured 96 units in November 2025.
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By GlobalDataThis reporter reviewed the British Army’s future combat tactics which will see Apache helicopters fly at a distance while autonomous collaborative platforms (ACPs) make first contact with the adversary, demonstrated in a virtual reality simulation orchestrated by Anduril UK last year.
To this end, the ACP will operate in a highly autonomous, “commanded not controlled” manner to perform multi-mission tasks in contested airspace. This includes reconnaissance, target acquisition, strike, countermeasure defeat, and integration with launched effects, according to Project NYX.
Replicating conditions
All of this training will be simulated in a virtual environment, with no planned live fire exercises, which the UK said will avoid any real-life danger or cost.
At the same time, however, virtual training may struggle to replicate certain battlespace conditions.
Russian Ka-52 Alligator attack helicopters, for example, have adapted to a diverse range of efforts Ukrainian forces use to shoot them down. In the heat of high-intensity warfare, Russian pilots have learned that their anti-missile systems could not initially counter uncrewed aerial systems (C-UAS) and that structural vibrations of the airframe disrupted their targeting and effects.
Although the UK did not state what countermeasures it is exploring in the defence industry, it is understood that the UK Armed Forces will consider C-UAS solutions.
Why is Poland sending instructors to the UK?
Poland may be sending instructors to the UK, whose Army operate the platform, to maximise their understanding of the Apache due to their limited use of the attack helicopter and impending induction of the rotorcraft from 2028 onwards.
However, it is strange that the joint training will take place at RAF Shawbury, where there are only simulators for basic and advanced rotary wing skills on the Juno HT1 (Airbus H135) and Jupiter HT1 (H145).
Pilots who graduate from Shawbury tend to move on to specific rotorcraft roles: attack helicopter training is based at the Army’s Wattisham Flying Station.
