It is a scene that we have seen countless times in war movies. In Top Gunfor example, Tom Cruise’s character is attacked and has to launch the countermeasures of your hunt to avoid impacting the enemy missile. What is weirder is to see it In a usually commercial plane, intended for passenger transportas has recently happened in Poland.
The images of One of the three Boeing 737 of the Polish Air Force deploying their countermeasures were taken on August 28, when the aircraft participated in an essay of the Radom Air Show which was held on August 30 and 31 at the Radom Air Base, in Poland. The plane is a 737-800 Boeing Business Jet 2 (BBJ2) which was delivered to the Polish Air Force in 2021.
Although this does not happen with the Boeing 737 for commercial use, those delivered to the Air Force of Poland have the countermeasures of countermeasures. These infrared countermeasures include the launch of different types of flares with different capacities and that cover different spectral regimes.
Its operation consists of Provide a heat source capable of deceiving the infrared search engine of a missilebut to be effective, it is necessary that the system be adapted to the thermal firm of the plane.
Republic of Poland Boeing 737-800 BBJ2 RELEASING FLARES.
📹: Piotr_gubernat (IG) pic.twitter.com/6hwhnhugzr– Turbine Traveller (@urbinetraveler) SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
In the case of Boeing 737 Poles, defenses also include an directed infrared countermeated system (DIRCM) that is housed in a canoe -shaped capsule under the rear fuselage. It is about J-Music of the Israeli company Elbit Systemswhich adds an extra level of protection through A turret laser capable of blinding and confusing infrared missile search engine.
The countermeasures are activated thanks to the missile approach alert systemMAWS. This detects the signing of an incoming missile and allows acting automatically, semi -automatic or manual to defend itself, either by flares or with the DIRCM system.
The Boeing 737 of the Polish Air Force have safe data link, Satcom and radios UHF/VHF/HF For communications. According to The War Zone, its military standard plane includes navigation Tacanfriend-enemy identification (IFF) Mod 5 and GPS receptors with anti-spoofing modules (SAASM). The cabin is equipped with front viewers (HUD) and an improved flight vision system (EFVS), which expands the visibility of the pilots. They also have specialized medical equipment for health evacuation missions.
In recent years, Poland has renewed its VIP fleet with Boeing 737-800 and Gulfstream G550. These planes are used to Transport to heads of state and high positionswhich explains that they have measures that are not found in those allocated to commercial use. Poland advanced the withdrawal of the service of the TUPOLEV TU-154M and Yakovlev YAK-40 what I used for these purposes After in 2010 a TU-154m, with 96 people on board, crashed when landing. There were no survivors and among the victims was the then president of the Republic of Poland Lech Kaczyński.