The first batch of Polish F-35 fighter jets has officially entered service, marking Poland as the first country on NATO’s eastern flank to field the US-made fifth-generation combat aircraft.
Warsaw’s first three F-35s arrived in late May and were officially inducted in June. The milestone comes about two years after Lockheed Martin rolled out the initial F-35A Husarz aircraft in August 2024, part of a 32-unit sale Washington approved in 2019.
Deliveries are expected to be completed by 2029, with 14 aircraft expected to be inducted by the end of this year, followed by 12 next year.
During the induction ceremony, Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the country’s plans to acquire two more F-35 squadrons — leading to a total of 32 additional aircraft, as a Polish Air Force fighter squadron typically operates 16 jets.
The jets will be permanently stationed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask and the 21st Tactical Air Base in Świdwin.
Polish F-35
Poland named its F-35A “Husarz” in honor of the hussars, an elite cavalry formation that was active from the 16th to 18th centuries.
In preparation for the aircraft’s arrival, a Polish fighter pilot flew an F-35A for the first time at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas in February 2025, followed by the US clearing an F-35 sustainment deal for Warsaw in August of the same year.
The multi-role F-35s will replace the Polish Air Force’s Russia-designed MiG-29 and Su-22 fleet, and provide critical capabilities in stealth, electronic warfare, and data sharing across NATO.
It is intended to modernize the air force and bolster Poland’s defenses amid threats of a potential Russian attack, following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, given Warsaw’s geographical proximity and support for Kyiv.
