On May 22, three fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets arrived in Poland from the United States. PAP reports this.
The fighters landed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, near the city of Lodz. Warsaw has ordered a total of 32 F-35s from the American defense company Lockheed Martin, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2029.
“This is a great moment that truly changes the operational capabilities of the entire Polish armed forces,” Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said at the base after the plane's arrival.
He noted that these are the first fifth-generation fighters deployed on NATO's eastern flank, and they symbolize strong transatlantic unity.
The $4.6 billion contract was signed in 2020. Although the Polish Air Force has already officially received eight F-35 aircraft, these aircraft remain in the United States to train Polish pilots, instructors and technical personnel, notes Polskie Radio.
It is expected that the newly produced aircraft will now be delivered directly to Poland. The Polish armed forces plan to receive 14 F-35 aircraft by the end of this year and another 12 by the end of 2027.
The F-35 is considered one of NATO's most advanced combat aircraft and is equipped with stealth technology that reduces its detection by radar. The aircraft can carry AGM-158 JASSM long-range cruise missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, as well as guided and glide bombs.
