The first Polish Air Force F-35A was officially presented during a ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.
On Aug, 28, 2024, at 10.00LT, the first Polish Air Force F-35A, designated AZ-01, was officially unveiled during a roll-out ceremony attended by the Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense Paweł Bejda, Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk, and representatives of the Polish Air Force command staff, at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facilities, Texas.
Wiceminister @pawelbejda: Prezentacja pierwszego polskiego samolotu F-35 to kolejny kamień milowy w transformacji Sił Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Jest to transformacja w nowoczesne, doskonale wyposażone, wyszkolone i dowodzone wojsko, które wraz z sojusznikami zapewni… pic.twitter.com/wRYbCyWPNT
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) August 28, 2024
The first aircraft will initially be based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Polish pilot training will take place; the first F-35s are expected to arrive in Poland in 2026, with the remainder of the fleet to be delivered by 2030.
Oto pierwszy polski samolot F-35A Lightning II 🇵🇱
W dniu Święta Lotnictwa Polskiego, w Fort Worth w Teksasie zaprezentowany został pierwszy polski myśliwiec V generacji.
To wielki przełom w rozwoju Sił Zbrojnych RP i ważny element procesu ich transformacji. Zmieni przyszłość… pic.twitter.com/kApIpzFt7d
— Sztab Generalny WP (@SztabGenWP) August 28, 2024
As expected, Polish Air Force F-35s don’t sport the traditional white-and-red checkerboard symbol, replaced by a low-visibility version of the emblem. This marks a significant change, as all Polish Air Force aircraft have historically worn the full-color white-and-red checkerboard, including Su-22s and MiG-29s, even after being repainted in new all-grey camouflage schemes.
Previously, the low-visibility checkerboard was only operationally used on a W-3 Sokół helicopter belonging to the Polish JW2305 GROM special forces unit. Although the concept was also showcased by the WZL Bydgoszcz maintenance facility, it was never applied to an active service aircraft.
General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the Polish Armed Forces’ General Staff, announced on X that the traditional white-and-red checkerboard would not appear on Polish F-35s, as the gray-toned version would enhance the aircraft’s stealth capabilities, even though almost all the most recent F-35 operators, like the Danish Air Force and the Belgian Air Force, have all opted for colorful roundels and national flags.
Polish F-35A programme
On September 11, 2019, the U.S. State Department approved the sale of 32 F-35 fifth-generation jets to Poland at a cost of USD 6.5 billion, according to a Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announcement. Poland opted for the F-35A CTOL (Conventional Take-Off and Landing) variant to replace its aging Soviet-era MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets.
In January 2020, a contract was signed for the procurement of 32 5th generation aircraft, with first delivery expected in 2024.
Along with the aircraft, Poland has also acquired various weapon systems for the F-35, including AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and “several hundreds” AGM-158B JASSM-ER cruise missiles. Additionally, the U.S. Department of State and Congress have approved further procurements, such as AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder missiles and AARGM-ER anti-radiation missiles.
As revelead in a interview that the Polish Press Agency (PAP) conducted with the head of the MoD, Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, in 2021, the Polish F-35 fleet of 32 aircraft will be stationed at Łask AB in central Poland.
Following the acquisition of the F-35 by the Polish Armed Forces, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced a competition for the name of the new fighter jets. Individuals submitted their proposed name for the F-35 fighter under a post on the official profile of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces on social media that remained online between April 12 and April 18, 2024.
At the end of the poll, Husarz (Polish for Winged Hussar) was selected as the official nickname for the Polish F-35. Noteworthy, Until now, in Polish service, the nicknames of individual aircraft were described by birds of prey (like “Sokol”, Polish for “Falcon”, or Jastrzębie, Polish for Hawk). The ‘Hussar’ was a member of a class of light cavalry that was first formed in the Kingdom of Poland at the beginning of the 16th Century.
Delivery of F-35s will make MiG-29s available to Ukraine..in 2 years.
As mentioned, the first Polish Air Force F-35A will be used for training purposes in the U.S. and it won’t be until 2026 that the new aircraft will be stationed in Poland. This means Warsaw will not be able to transfer its remaining MiG-29 aircraft to Ukraine before 2026, as Poland’s Defense Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, recently said.
