On August 28, 2024, a ceremony was held at the Lockheed Martin Corporation facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to mark the deployment and official presentation of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter plane built for Poland (serial number AZ-1, Polish tail number “3501). The Polish Air Force has officially dubbed their F-35A aircraft Husarz (“Hussar”). It is wo On August 28, 2024, a ceremony was held at the Lockheed Martin Corporation facility in Fort Worth, Texas, to mark the deployment and official presentation of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter plane built for Poland (serial number AZ-1, Polish tail number “3501). The Polish Air Force has officially dubbed their F-35A aircraft Husarz (“Hussar”).
It is worth noting that on January 31, 2020, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a Polish-American intergovernmental agreement under which the United States will supply Poland with 32 fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters via the American Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The overall cost of the accord is $4.6 billion, excluding weaponry, which Poland would buy separately. The negotiated contract only involves training for 24 Polish pilots and approximately 100 ground staff. To continue training, more paid contracts with the United States will be required.
According to reports, the first F-35A fighter, which was delivered on August 28, will be formally handed over to the Polish side by the end of the year. It will be the first of six aircraft that will not be sent to Poland but will be used in a new training center at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas to train Polish personnel. Poland will become the first international customer to train F-35 pilots at Ebbing.
The remaining 26 F-35A fighters will be delivered straight to Poland between 2026 and 2030. The Polish Air Force’s 32nd Tactical Air Base, located at the Łask Airfield, will house these aircraft. The 32nd Air Base’s first squadron of F-35A fighters (a standard complement of 16 aircraft) is projected to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2028. The second squadron will be delivered in 2030. rth noting that on January 31, 2020, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a Polish-American intergovernmental agreement under which the United States will supply Poland with 32 fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters via the American Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program.
The overall cost of the accord is $4.6 billion, excluding weaponry, which Poland would buy separately. The negotiated contract only involves training for 24 Polish pilots and approximately 100 ground staff. To continue training, more paid contracts with the United States will be required.
According to reports, the first F-35A fighter, which was delivered on August 28, will be formally handed over to the Polish side by the end of the year. It will be the first of six aircraft that will not be sent to Poland but will be used in a new training center at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas to train Polish personnel. Poland will become the first international customer to train F-35 pilots at Ebbing. The remaining 26 F-35A fighters will be delivered straight to Poland between 2026 and 2030.
The Polish Air Force’s 32nd Tactical Air Base, located at the Łask Airfield, will house these aircraft. The 32nd Air Base’s first squadron of F-35A fighters (a standard complement of 16 aircraft) is projected to achieve Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in 2028. The second squadron will be delivered in 2030.
