Poland receives its first F-35A
Above: Poland's First F-35, named 'Husarz'.
Courtesy PRNewsfoto / Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
This event marks a significant milestone in the Polish Air Force's history and strengthens the NATO alliance, as Poland is a key NATO ally.
"Over more than 100-years of the Polish Air Force, there have been many generations of pilots and aircraft. 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 5th generation fighters across Europe, bolstering air superiority through allied deterrence," said Major General Ireneusz Nowak, Inspector of Polish Air Force.
The F-35 is the NATO aircraft of choice and will help extend Poland's strong leadership in NATO through investment in military modernisation and enhanced participation in foreign missions. Poland is one of several NATO nations to invest in the allied deterrence of the F-35.
With its inherent interoperability, Poland's F-35s - named 'Husarz' to pay homage to a calvary unit from the country's military past - will connect assets across domains to increase situational awareness for Poland and its key European partners.
Greg Ulmer, president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, said: "As the NATO aircraft of choice, the F-35 is a powerful force multiplier and critical to deterring and defeating threats for Poland and its allies.
"We are honoured to strengthen our enduring partnership with Poland through today's celebration, ensuring Polish national security and long-term capability development for decades to come."
Senior government and military leaders from Poland and the United States attended the ceremony yesterday to celebrate Poland's first of 32 F-35As per its programme of record. The first aircraft, designated AZ-01, will be delivered to the Polish Air Force in December and will be based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Poland will be the first international customer to conduct F-35 pilot training.
F-35s are now operating from 32 bases worldwide. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,000 F-35s, trained more than 2,540 pilots and 16,690 maintainers and the F-35 fleet has surpassed 889,000 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin continues to work side by side with F-35 operators to ensure allies remain ahead of the evolving threat.
