The Polish military in May announced that it would locally designate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the F-35 Husarz. The designation honors the historic Polish Winged Hussars, a famed 16th-17th century cavalry unit. 

According to reports this week, the first F-35 aircraft produced for Poland are expected to be completed in the coming months. The aircraft, which will leave Lockheed Martin's production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, are apparently not affected by delays involving the company’s Technology Refresh 3.

However, it will be some time before F-35s operate from Polish air bases.

"The first F-35 planes for Poland are expected to leave the factory this summer," Gary North, vice president for customer requirements at Lockheed Martin and a former general in charge of U.S. Pacific Air Forces, told Defense News. "Between late 2024 and 2026, these planes will be used at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, as the first trainers for Polish pilots."

Flight of the F-35 Husarz Coming Soon 

The first F-35s are scheduled to arrive in Poland in 2026, and Poland’s air force will be the first in the region to operate the fifth-generation fighter. In the coming years, the NATO alliance member will establish a unit to operate the F-35 at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, in the central part of the country. It will later do the same at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Swidwin, northwest Poland.

NATO allies Czechia and Romania will also begin to operate the Lightning II in the coming decade.

Multiple Deals in the Works

Warsaw signed a deal worth approximately $4.6 billion in January 2020 to receive 32 of the jets from the United States. Deliveries of the F-35 to Poland are scheduled to continue until 2030, in batches of four to six units per year. Production of Poland's F-35A – the conventional takeoff and landing variant – began in 2023.

The Polish military has sought to replace its Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters with the more modern, Western-made aircraft that could counter the Russian Aerospace Forces’ Sukhoi Su-35s. Warsaw has reportedly considered acquiring a number of models,  including the Eurofighter Typhoon and the F-15EX Eagle II.

Poland has also considered expanding its F-35 order, but budget constraints will likely impact any final decision.

Poland already operates a small fleet of F-16C/D Fighting Falcon Block 52+ fighters and South Korean KAI FA-50 Golden Eagle light attack aircraft. Warsaw was spurred by Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine to modernize its air force, and in July 2022 it signed a $3 billion deal to acquire 48 of the South Korea-made fighters.

Soon, Poland will become the first NATO member to regularly operate and base the F-35 on Russia's doorstep. We can't imagine Vladimir Putin will be happy about it.

 Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu 

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].