Lockheed Martin presented the first F-35A Lightning II fighter for the Polish Air Force during an event at its factory in Fort Worth, Texas. The NATO member has 32 of the warplanes on order as it bolsters its defense capability in the face of Russian aggression in Eastern Europe.
The Polish F-35s have been named Husarz to pay homage to the country’s famous cavalry regiment. The first of the fighters will be delivered in December and will be based initially at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Polish pilots will receive training.
“Over more than 100 years of the Polish Air Force, there have been many generations of pilots and aircraft,” said Ireneusz Nowak, inspector of the country’s air force. “I am proud to be part of history today, introducing the F-35 as the next generation, which will protect and defend Poland’s future for many years. We are joining a strong coalition of fifth-generation fighters across Europe, bolstering air superiority through allied deterrence.”
F-35s are now operating from 35 bases worldwide. Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,000 aircraft and trained more than 2,540 pilots and 16,690 maintenance technicians. The fleet has logged more than 889,000 flight hours.