Su-22 Display Team

The Su-22 Display Team was a Polish Air Force role-demonstration pairing from the 21st Tactical Air Base (Świdwin), showcasing the rugged Sukhoi Su-22 “Fitter” in dramatic duo and solo routines. Crews highlighted the type’s variable-geometry wing with opening flypasts at different sweep settings, plus fast opposition passes and low, smoky go-arounds.

The team earned widespread acclaim, including the crowd-voted “As The Crow Flies” Trophy at RIAT 2014. Later seasons focused more on solos, and after a limited 2021 schedule the formal display pairing was discontinued, although Polish Su-22s continued to appear for flypasts and statics until fleet retirement plans matured.

Origins & role. The Su-22 is the export branch of the Su-17 family—Sukhoi’s first variable-sweep wing strike fighter to enter Soviet service—developed from the straight-wing Su-7 to offer much better field performance and payload-range for low-level attack. Production ran into the late Cold War across multiple marks and export subtypes.

Layout & systems. The outer wings sweep for take-off/landing or dash performance (typical detents around 28°, 45°, 62°), with a single afterburning turbojet, internal cannon armament, and a wide stores catalogue for unguided/precision strike. Later Polish aircraft (Su-22M4) feature the Lyulka AL-21F-3 engine and updated nav/attack kit.

In Polish service. Poland received its first Su-22s in the mid-1980s and concentrated operations at Świdwin. The display team typically used Su-22M4 (single-seat) paired with Su-22UM3K (two-seat) jets. The fleet remained in limited service into the 2020s, with retirement targeted for the mid-2020s.

Poland fielded Su-22s from the mid-1980s, concentrating operations at Świdwin with squadrons flying strike/recce and maritime strike profiles. The type’s ruggedness, straightforward maintenance and heavy stores capacity kept it useful well into the 21st century as a specialist attack platform.

For displays, the pairing emphasised wing-sweep changes, fast opposition passes and tight curvilinear patterns that showed the jet’s low-level authority. The team drew major public recognition in 2014 with RIAT’s As The Crow Flies award before winding down to mostly solo or flypast appearances and a final limited season in 2021 ahead of planned fleet retirement by 2025.

• “Fitter” is the NATO reporting name for the Su-17/20/22 family.
• The display team’s home is Świdwin in Western Pomerania, at the 21st Tactical Air Base.
• RIAT spotters voted the Polish Su-22 duo the As The Crow Flies Trophy winners in 2014.
• Typical wing-sweep detents are around 28°, 45°, 62°—a feature the team showcased in the opening passes.
• Polish display jets were usually a single-seat Su-22M4 paired with a two-seat Su-22UM3K.