F-35A Husarz makes its maiden flight
December 5, 2024
The first F-35A Husarz to fly was actually the second aircraft built, AZ-02, Polish serial 3502. The first aircraft, AZ-01/3501 made its maiden flight the following day. Surprisingly, no official photographs were released, though two aviation photographers, Gherardo Fontana and his wife, Victoria (‘Tori Mae’), did witness the events.
The two Polish F-35As will soon be sent to Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Polish pilots are preparing to convert to the new aircraft type. The first F-35s are expected to arrive in Poland in 2026, with the remainder of the fleet to be delivered by 2030. All 32 will be based at Łask AB in central Poland.
The Polish Air Force F-35As wear toned-down, low-visibility national insignia rather than Poland’s traditional white-and-red checkerboard symbol. This is clearly a matter of choice, as both Denmark and Belgium have opted for full colour national insignia.
The US State Department approved the possible sale of 32 F-35 fifth-generation jets to Poland at a cost of US $6.5 billion on 11 September 2019, and a contract was signed in January 2020. The first Polish Air Force F-35A, named as the Husarz, was officially unveiled in a roll-out ceremony attended by Paweł Bejda, the Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence, and Cezary Tomczyk, the Deputy Minister of National Defence, at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth factory.
Poland’s F-35As will be armed with AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Block II air-to-air missiles and AGM-158B JASSM-ER cruise missiles and AARGM-ER anti-radiation missiles.
Thanks to Gherardo Fontana (@GFontana767) and Victoria Fontana (@LensOfMae) for the photos accompanying this article.
