The Polish air force has taken ownership of two new multi-role military helicopters as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s defences in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the government said on Monday.
The country’s Defence Minister praised the new machines at a military airfield near the central city of Tomaszów Mazowiecki. The medium-lift, multi-role military choppers are produced by Italian multinational aerospace company Leonardo at its PZL Świdnik factory in eastern Poland. The minister told reporters that Polish pilots and technicians had already been trained on the AW-149 helicopters.
There are a total of 32 of this model of helicopters on the order books for the Polish air force.
Source – Polskie Radio
Poland is set to continue its investment in space technologies as the country signed a EUR 85 million agreement with the European Space Agency to launch four satellites by 2027.
The project will provide Polish authorities with high-resolution Earth observation data, while also giving domestic firms the opportunity to gain expertise in the production and integration of satellite systems, according to officials.
Poland’s Development and Technology Minister said „Data provided by these satellites will be used to record, assess and monitor the effects of climate change and environmental pollution, to assess security and to determine the scale of state support for farmers and entrepreneurs, among other uses. Currently Poland does not possess its own satellites, while demand for high-resolution data is very high.”
Source – Polskie Radio
Several thousand police have been deployed to patrol the roads in the run-up to All Saints’ Day in Poland.
Millions of Poles visit the graves of their loved ones on All Saints’ Day on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, often travelling hundreds of kilometres to their home towns. Polish police on Saturday launched their annual Operation Torch road safety campaign, stepping up traffic patrols in the run-up to the holiday.
Twenty-five people were killed and 326 injured in 286 accidents on Polish roads during last year’s All Saints’ long weekend, according to police data.
Source – Polskie Radio
And finally, two giant capybaras have been born at Gdańsk zoo, it has been announced. Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world and can weigh up to 60 kilograms.
Employees of the Gdańsk Zoo wrote on social media at the moment the mother is keeping them very close to her and they are very small, so they are not able to be seen.
In South America, capybaras are farmed for their meat and skin, and the popularity of these animals on the internet has led to increased interest in keeping them as pets. The zoo reminded people that Capybaras should not be kept as pets because they are social animals who like to live in herds and so should not be kept in isolation at home.
Source – Radio Gdańsk
Weather
Today will be a rainy day in a moderate breeze with temperatures of 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit) during the day and 5 degrees overnight. Tomorrow will see a sunnier day in light winds and temperatures of 9 degrees again during the day and 4 degrees overnight.
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Martin Caren/ol
