Polish air force raises cash with water TV ad

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland's air force has allowed its F-16 fighter planes to star in a television commercial for mineral water to raise funds for its summer airshow, a spokesman said on Friday.

The commercial, broadcast this week, shows an attractive woman pilot brandishing a bottle of mineral water after impressing her male colleagues with her smooth landing of an F-16.

The warplanes were taking part in a regular training session at an airbase near Poznan in western Poland.

"We can't talk about the sums involved, but (the commercial) provided significant financial support for August's airshow budget," air force spokesman Marcin Rogus told Reuters.

"We had been having huge problems with the organisation (of this year's show) due to the economic crisis."

Earlier this year, Poland's centre-right government announced cuts totalling 2 billion zlotys ($614.1 million) in its defence budget as part of efforts to pare back state spending during a sharp economic slowdown.

Rogus indicated the air force might consider other commercial opportunities to raise money for its needs.

"But we must remember that the army is not for sale," Rogus added. "There have to be special conditions under which we would agree to lend our equipment."

The air force agreed to lend its F-16s because mineral water is not a controversial product, Rogus said.