Exclusive: Polish Soviet-made Mi-17 helicopter conducts deck landing qualifications on U.S. Navy command ship.

According to information published by the U.S. Department of Defense on June 7, 2025, a Soviet-made Mi-17 twin-turbine transport helicopter from the Polish Special Operations Squadron successfully conducted deck landing qualifications aboard the U.S. Navy USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20), the flagship of the U.S. Navy’s Blue Ridge-class command and control ships. The operation occurred during Baltic Operations 2025 (BALTOPS 25), NATO’s premier annual maritime exercise in the Baltic Sea region. This rare and strategically symbolic event marked the successful integration of a Soviet-designed helicopter into U.S. naval aviation procedures and highlighted a growing level of interoperability among NATO allies.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Polish Special Operations Mi-17 helicopter performs deck landing qualifications on U.S. Navy USS Mount Whitney during BALTOPS 2025. (Picture source: U.S. DoD)

Deck landing qualification (DLQ) is a vital certification process required for helicopter crews to operate safely from the limited and constantly moving flight decks of naval ships. The process involves extensive training to master complex landing approaches, coordination with ship-based flight crews, and adaptation to maritime conditions such as sea-state-induced deck motion and variable wind patterns. For aircraft like the Mi-17, originally developed for land-based missions, conducting a DLQ aboard a U.S. Navy vessel presents a significant technical and procedural challenge. The Polish crew's successful qualification not only underscores their advanced skills but also highlights the ability of non-western airframes to adapt to NATO naval standards through meticulous training and cooperation.

The Mi-17, a variant of the iconic Soviet-made Mil Mi-8 transport helicopter, is a medium-lift twin-turbine helicopter that has served militaries worldwide in both combat and support roles. Known for its durability and payload capacity, the Mi-17 in Polish service is operated by the Special Operations Squadron to support a variety of missions including tactical troop transport, casualty evacuation, supply delivery, and insertion and extraction of special operations forces. These helicopters are often customized with advanced avionics, communications, and defensive systems to operate in high-threat environments. The Polish Special Operations Squadron works in close coordination with Poland’s top-tier special forces units such as JW GROM and JW Komandosów, providing them with aerial mobility and operational reach.

The USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) is a Blue Ridge-class command and control ship serving as the flagship of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, homeported in Gaeta, Italy. Designed to support theater-level joint and multinational operations, the vessel is equipped with state-of-the-art communications, surveillance, and coordination systems that enable it to function as a floating command center during complex maritime missions. It plays a central role in directing fleet movements, integrating allied forces, and supporting real-time operational decision-making across vast operational areas. Its ability to host helicopter operations, such as the recent Polish Mi-17 deck landing, underscores its versatility in both command and tactical support roles.

The significance of this deck landing is amplified by its context. A former Warsaw Pact aircraft operating from the deck of a U.S. Navy command ship is a strong visual representation of NATO’s transformation since the Cold War. It is also a powerful message about unity and the alliance’s ability to integrate a wide range of equipment into a common operational framework. Supporting landings from a Polish Mi-17 helicopter demonstrates the ship’s adaptability and the alliance’s capacity for seamless integration of diverse platforms in real-world missions.

BALTOPS 25 involves over 20 NATO and partner nations and is designed to improve interoperability across maritime, air, and land domains. The exercise focuses on critical mission sets such as anti-submarine warfare, mine countermeasures, amphibious operations, and special forces deployment. The inclusion of the Polish Mi-17 deck qualification operation adds a unique component to the exercise by showcasing Poland’s ability to extend its special operations reach to the maritime domain, reinforcing NATO’s capacity to project joint force capabilities in response to regional threats.

The importance of conducting such interoperability exercises in the Baltic region has grown substantially in recent years. The Baltic Sea has become a focal point for strategic competition, particularly given the increase in Russian naval and aerial activity near NATO borders. Exercises like BALTOPS 25 serve not only to sharpen readiness but also to send a clear deterrent message by demonstrating allied cohesion, preparedness, and operational unity. For the Polish and U.S. forces involved, this mission reinforces decades of defense cooperation and mutual training, while offering valuable real-world experience in integrated joint operations.

The Polish Mi-17 helicopter successfully DLQ aboard the U.S. Navy USS Mount Whitney is a testament to legacy platforms' adaptability and the depth of collaboration within the NATO alliance. It represents more than a technical achievement. It is a tangible demonstration of how partners can overcome doctrinal and equipment differences to achieve strategic unity, ensuring the alliance remains capable, flexible, and ready to respond to emerging challenges in one of Europe’s most sensitive maritime theaters.