In early September 2025, the Polish Naval Air Brigade officially retired its last Mil Mi-14PŁ anti-submarine warfare (ASW) helicopter.
The Mi-14PŁ (the Polish designation for the Mi-14PL) served as the primary ASW (anti-submarine warfare) rotorcraft of the Polish Navy for more than four decades, and was the largest helicopter in service with the Polish Armed Forces during this time.
The Mi-14PL (an abbreviation of the Russian term противолодочный – anti-submarine) was developed in the late 1960s. In 1981, the Polish Navy acquired this type of helicopter in both the PL and PS (search-and-rescue) variants.
Over the years, the Polish naval rotorcraft fleet was subject to several modernisations. Some airframes were converted into the Mi-14PX (an anti-submarine variant with limited SAR capability), the Mi-14PL/R (an anti-submarine variant converted into a SAR helicopter), and then Mi-14PLMK (a modernised Mi-14PL). The anti-submarine variants were converted into SAR versionsdue to a shortage of SAR helicopters, as the ones previously acquired had reached the end of their service life and had to be withdrawn.
On 15th August 2025, the last operational Polish Mi-14 rotorcraft took part in the naval parade off the coast of the Hel Peninsula, organised to mark Polish Armed Forces Day. The flight marked the final farewell mission of the Mi-14 in Polish service and its last public appearance, serving as a reminder of its role in the naval aviation operations of the Polish fleet.
The official farewell ceremony was then held at the beginning of September 2025 and brought together representatives of the Naval Aviation Brigade command staff, the naval forces, helicopter crews and ground personnel, as well as a large group of invited guests.
Following the retirement of the Mi-14PŁ, the ASW operations of the Polish Navy will be carried out by four newly acquired Leonardo AW101 Mk 614 rotorcraft. However, the Polish government opted for a specific multi-purpose variant that combines both ASW and SAR roles.
This soon proved to be a controversial solution, as it did not provide enough helicopters on duty. Consequently, the Polish Armaments Agency is now proceeding with the procurement process for eight additional naval helicopters. However, neither the manufacturer nor the expected delivery date has yet been disclosed.
