Poland has officially accepted its first three F-35A Husarz aircraft, marking its transition to fifth-generation airpower capabilities.
The formal acceptance ceremony took place on 12 June 2026, attended by senior leaders from the Polish government and military, alongside representatives from the US, allied nations, and industry.
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The jets arrived at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask on 22 May 2026.
Poland signed a contract worth $4.6bn to procure 32 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing variant aircraft in 2020, with the first aircraft rolled out from Lockheed Martin’s Aeronautics facility in Fort Worth, Texas, in August 2024.
The F-35 Husarz fleet is expected to strengthen Poland’s interoperability with allied forces and boost NATO’s defence positioning on its eastern flank.
The aircraft’s advanced sensor fusion is designed to enable operations across multiple domains, particularly in contested environments.
Poland Ministry of National Defence head Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “This is a great day. It is a day of pride for the Polish Army, but it is also a great day for everyone in Poland.”
The Minister of National Defence also announced that an additional 11 F-35A jets are scheduled for delivery to the Łask base in the months ahead, with another 12 aircraft to follow next year, continuing until the full order of 32 jets is complete.
During the ceremony, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that the larger programme anticipates two further squadrons and the acquisition of an additional 32 fifth-generation aircraft.
Poland now joins other European nations operating the F-35 from their own territory. Worldwide, over 1,330 F-35 aircraft are operated by 20 allied countries.
The US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno, who attended the acceptance ceremony, revealed that the US will give Poland a new $4bn loan from the Foreign Military Financing programme.
This would the entire amount available to the Poland to $20bn.
