On August 28, 2024, a ceremony of rolling out and official presentation of the first F-35A Lightning II fighter made for Poland (serial number AZ-1, Polish tail number "3501") took place at the Lockheed Martin Corporation in Fort Worth (Texas). In the Polish Air Force, the F-35A aircraft received the official name Husarz ("Hussar").
The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft manufactured for the Polish Air Force (serial number AZ-1, Polish tail number "3501"). Fort Worth, 08/28/2024 (c) Ministry of National Defense of Poland
Recall that on January 31, 2020, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a Polish-American intergovernmental agreement on the supply by the United States to Poland through the American intergovernmental foreign military sales program Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of 32 fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighters with a total value of $4.6 billion. Weapons are not included in the price of the agreement and are purchased separately by Poland. The signed contract includes the training of only 24 Polish pilots and about 100 ground personnel. The training of the following will require the conclusion of additional paid contracts with the United States.
It is reported that the first F-35A fighter jet, launched on August 28, will be formally transferred to the Polish side by the end of the year and will become the first of six aircraft that will not be sent to Poland, but will be used in a new training center at the American National Guard Air Base Ebbing in Arkansas to train Polish personnel. Poland will become the first international customer to provide training for F-35 pilots in Ebbing.
Deliveries of the remaining 26 F-35A fighters directly to Poland will be carried out from 2026 to 2030. These aircraft will be part of the 32nd Tactical Air Base of the Polish Air Force at Lask airfield. The first squadron of the 32nd Air Base with F-35A fighters (staff of 16 aircraft) should reach the status of initial operational readiness (IOC) in 2028. The second squadron will be delivered by 2030.
The first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter aircraft manufactured for the Polish Air Force (serial number AZ-1, Polish tail number "3501"). Fort Worth, 08/28/2024 (c) Lockheed Martin and the Polish Ministry of National Defense
