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Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
The first three out of 32 F-35A stealth combat aircraft ordered by Poland have arrived in the country, marking a significant step in the modernisation of the country’s air defences.
The F-35 is considered one of the world’s most advanced combat aircraft. Poland’s variant of the fighter has been named “Husarz”, in reference to the famous Polish “winged hussar” heavy cavalry units that were active from the 16th to the 18th century.
“These are the first fifth-generation fighters on NATO’s eastern flank,” declared defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, who welcomed the jets as they landed at the air force base in Łask, having flown in from Fort Worth, Texas, including a stop-off at Lajes Field Air Force Base in the Azores.
“For Poland, this is not just new equipment, but entry into the top league of global air forces,” he added. The F-35s are due to be officially unveiled on 12 June.
Nowi strażnicy polskiego nieba! 🇵🇱 pic.twitter.com/4tVOW6t9NB
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) May 22, 2026
In 2020, under the former Law and Justice (PiS) government, Poland ordered 32 F-35s from manufacturer Lockheed Martin, in a deal worth around $4.6 billion (which also includes training, simulators and logistical support).
The Polish version of the jet was unveiled in 2024, and Polish pilots began training in them that year in the United States.
By the end of this year, a total of 14 F-35s are expected to arrive at the base in Łask, and will reach full operational readiness next year, reports defence news service Portal Obronny. The delivery and operational readiness of all 32 aircraft is expected to be completed by 2032.
The countries that already operate F-35s in Europe are Norway, the Netherlands, Italy, the UK, Denmark and Belgium, reports news website Defence24. The aircraft have also been ordered by Switzerland, Romania, Germany, Greece, Finland and the Czech Republic.
The F-35 combat aircraft being produced by Lockheed Martin for Poland has been unveiled at its headquarters in Texas.
The Polish version of the plane has been named "Husarz" in reference to Poland's famous "Winged Hussar" cavalry units https://t.co/Zk1BSxQnmd
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) August 28, 2024
The purchase of the F-35s is part of a large-scale expansion and modernisation of Poland’s armed forces, launched under the PiS government, accelerated in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and continued by the current administration of Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
For its air force, Poland has also ordered 48 FA-50 fighter aircraft from South Korea, 12 of which have already been delivered. Last year, it signed a $3.8 billion agreement with the United States to modernise the entire Polish fleet of 48 F-16 jets.
Poland has also ordered hundreds of tanks from the US and South Korea, as well as self-propelled howitzers, air-defence systems and other hardware. As a result of its procurement spree, it now has the largest relative defence budget in NATO, at 4.8% of GDP this year.
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: MON (under CC BY-SA 4.0)
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
