The primary three F-35s arrived in Poland at Łask Airbase after a supply flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Price manufacturing plant.
The Polish Air Pressure has taken supply of its first three F-35A Lightning II fighters on nationwide soil. The plane landed at Łask Airbase on Might 22, 2026, on the finish of the supply flight which took them from Lockheed Martin’s manufacturing plant in Fort Price, Texas, to Poland, after a cease within the Azores at Lajes Airbase.
Upon arrival, the F-35s have been escorted by two F-16 Preventing Falcons, Poland’s present primary frontline fighter plane. It needs to be famous that these will not be the Polish Air Pressure’s first F-35s, as eight of them have been already delivered to Ebbing Air Nationwide Guard Base, Arkansas, for coaching.
#F35PL #Husarz 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/9gTUiLm2hO
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) Might 22, 2026
Poland’s first F-35, designated Husarz in nationwide service, performed its maiden flight on Dec. 2, 2024. Shortly thereafter the plane was moved to Ebbing the place, as a part of the coaching program for international army gross sales (FMS) prospects of the F-35, Poland deliberate to base its first eight plane, earlier than beginning deliveries in nation.
The plane which landed at Łask Airbase confirmed the serials 3509, 3510 and 3511, whereas the plane from 3501 to 3508 are at Ebbing. Notably, 3511 additionally featured a tail artwork representing a panther, which displays the unofficial nickname “Panther” given to the F-35.
Poznaj tajemnice Husarza–Czym jest technologia stealth i czy samolot #F35PL jest niewidzialny? Co mogą wychwycić jego sensory? Czy istnieją kody, które mogą wyłączyć jego systemy? Na te i wiele innych nurtujących pytań odpowiada gen. dyw. pil. Ireneusz Nowak, zastępca dowódcy… pic.twitter.com/oBp8HaQ5nN
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) Might 24, 2026
“This can be a nice day for Poland, for the Polish Armed Forces, for the Air Pressure,” stated Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. “The primary three F-35s have landed in Poland, within the thirty second Air Base in Łask, which at the moment turns into a house for our F-35 plane.”
Initially, Łask was deliberate to host the whole F-35 fleet, based on official statements in 2021. Later, it was determined that the fleet can be cut up between Łask and Świdwin, which previously hosted the Su-22 Fitter fleet.
Witajcie w Polsce! 🇵🇱Trzy F-35 wspólnie na niebie z naszymi F-16… pic.twitter.com/5U4l9IaZmI
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) Might 22, 2026
Łask can also be one of many two bases internet hosting the Polish F-16C/D Block 52 fleet. The jets will bear a Mid Life Improve (MLU) program for the improve to the F-16V Block 72 normal which, amongst all issues, will enable an improved integration with the F-35.
Polish F-35A program
On Sept. 11, 2019, the U.S. State Division accredited the sale of 32 F-35 fifth-generation jets to Poland at a price of USD 6.5 billion, based on a Protection Safety Cooperation Company (DSCA) announcement. Poland opted for the F-35A CTOL (Standard Take-Off and Touchdown) variant to interchange its ageing Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets.
Like my spouse talked about, regardless of the rain and fog, we have been capable of catch the departure of RETRO 6-1, the primary 3 F35A Husarz heading throughout the Atlantic to Poland 🇵🇱 with a KC46 Pegasus. pic.twitter.com/99kLKIMVHW
— Gherardo Fontana (@gfontana767) Might 21, 2026
In January 2020, a contract was signed for the procurement of 32 F-35s, with first supply initially anticipated in 2024. Together with the plane, Poland has additionally acquired numerous weapon methods for the F-35, together with AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and “a number of lots of” AGM-158B JASSM-ER cruise missiles.
Additional weapons procurements have been additionally accredited, akin to AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder missiles and AGM-88G Superior Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Prolonged Vary (AARGM-ER) missiles. The offers have been signed in 2024 and 2025, respectively, adopted by a deal for the AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM in 2025.
In 2021, it was determined that the Polish F-35 fleet of 32 plane can be fully stationed at Łask AB in central Poland. Later, Świdwin was additionally chosen, with the F-35s divided among the many two bases.
On Aug. 28, 2024, the primary Polish Air Pressure F-35A, designated AZ-01, was formally unveiled throughout a roll-out ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Price amenities, Texas, within the presence of Polish officers. The primary plane to fly, nonetheless was AZ-02, which efficiently accomplished its first check flight on Dec. 2, 2024.
Do tej pory fabrykę Lockheed Martin w Fort Price opuściło trzynaście przeznaczonych dla Polski samolotów #F35PL. Trzy z nich są już w Polsce.–F-35 Lightning II to myśliwiec piątej generacji. Samolot został zbudowany w technologii stealth, która utrudnia namierzanie go przez… pic.twitter.com/YSMWl2KlIN
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) Might 23, 2026
The primary plane have been delivered to Ebbing Air Nationwide Guard Base, Arkansas, the place Polish pilot coaching is going down, as the bottom is used for the coaching of international army gross sales (FMS) prospects. The primary F-35s have been deliberate to reach in Poland in 2026, with the rest of the fleet to be delivered by 2030.
As anticipated, Polish Air Pressure F-35s don’t sport the standard white-and-red checkerboard image, changed by a low-visibility model of the symbol. This marks a big change, as all Polish Air Pressure plane have traditionally worn the full-color white-and-red checkerboard, together with Su-22s and MiG-29s, even after being repainted in new all-grey camouflage schemes.
Pierwsze #F35PL już w bazie lotniczej w Łasku. Jak wspomniał wczoraj podczas przylotu maszyn wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz będą to pierwsze myśliwce piątej generacji, które będą stacjonować na wschodniej flance NATO. – To zmienia bezpieczeństwo całego regionu – mówił. Zaznaczył… pic.twitter.com/Ov2ALbsFEI
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) Might 23, 2026
The Polish F-35’s title
Following the acquisition of the F-35 by the Polish Armed Forces, the Common Employees of the Polish Armed Forces introduced a contest for the title of the brand new fighter jets. People submitted their proposed title for the F-35 fighter below a submit on the official profile of the Common Employees of the Polish Armed Forces on social media that remained on-line between April 12 and April 18, 2024.
On the finish of the ballot, Husarz (Polish for Winged Hussar) was chosen because the official nickname for the Polish F-35. Noteworthy, till now, the nicknames of particular person plane in Polish service have been described by birds of prey (like “Sokol”, Polish for “Falcon”, or Jastrzębie, Polish for Hawk).
✈️ Czas na Waszą decyzję❗️
Czy wiecie, że w 1 etapie padło blisko 800 pomysłów na nazwę dla 🇵🇱 myśliwca F-35?!Poniżej przedstawiamy High 5:1. Halny2. Husarz3. Harpia4. Dracarys5. Duch
✔️Wybierzcie nazwę i głosujcie w komentarzu podając odpowiednią cyfrę już dziś!… pic.twitter.com/CPuMQqDxOS
— Sztab Generalny WP (@SztabGenWP) April 22, 2024
The ‘Hussar’ was a member of a category of sunshine cavalry that was first shaped within the Kingdom of Poland at first of the sixteenth Century.
