At a ceremony in Fort Worth (Texas-USA), Lockheed Martin presented the first F-35 “Husarz” for the Polish Air Force.
Deputy Minister of National Defense, Paweł Bejda, who is visiting the U.S. to discuss the supply of U.S. weapons for the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces, participated in the rollout of the first Polish F-35 Husarz.
This first aircraft, designated AZ-01, will be delivered to the Polish Air Force later this year. The aircraft will be based initially at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Ebbing, Arkansas, where it will be used for training Polish pilots. The Polish Armed Forces General Staff reported that the first pilots will fly to the United States to begin training this fall. They will train on 8 Polish aircrafts that will remain in the United States until 2027.
An agreement signed in 2020 between the U.S. and Poland made this European country the 14th NATO member nation to join the Joint Strike Fighter program, and provides for the acquisition of 32 fifth-generation F-35A fighters. In addition to the fighter aircraft themselves, the contract also includes spare engines, mission simulators, operational support, and pilot and ground crew training.
The first stealth fighters will land in Poland in 2026. The first F-35 squadron will be established at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, with Świdwin to follow. Work is already underway to adapt the airbase infrastructure to the operational needs of the Hussars.
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
These aircrafts will be known locally, by popular election, as Husarz, or Hussars, a name that pays homage to an iconic 17th century Polish heavy cavalry unit (the Winged Hussars).
The Polish F-35s will be painted with low-visibility markings and will come equipped with TR-3 (Technology Refresh 3) computer technology, which enables them to eventually be upgraded to the advanced Block 4.
