Poland inducts first F-35As as Warsaw outlines plan to double fleet to 64 jets

Poland formally inducted its first three F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation multi-role stealth fighters into operational service on June 12, performing a series of flypasts over several locations across the nation to welcome the advanced new platform.

With 32 examples currently on order, it was also revealed that Warsaw plans to double its F-35A acquisition to 64 jets, which would facilitate the creation of two more squadrons of the type.

Historia polskich F-35
Witajcie w domu 🇵🇱! pic.twitter.com/eRsQK5cEzR

— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) June 12, 2026

Known as the F-35PL ‘Husarz (Hussar)’ in Polish Air Force (PoAF) service, the first three conventional take-off and landing (CTOL)-configured Lightning IIs (serials 3509, 3510 and 3511) were delivered to the 32nd Baza Lotnictwa Taktycznego (BLT; Tactical Air Base) at Łask on 22 May.

These initial jets were flown to their new home operating base in central Poland from Lockheed Martin’s production facility in Fort Worth, Texas, via the Azores, Portugal, with support from a US Air Force (USAF)-operated KC-46A Pegasus tanker.

“F-35PL already in Poland! We are joining the group of countries with fifth-generation fighters,” the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) said following their arrival in-country. “F-35s feature ‘stealth’ capabilities, which are a key element enabling effective mission execution in the event of a conflict with an adversary possessing advanced anti-access systems.”

In January 2020, Poland inked a $4.6bn contract for the acquisition of 32 F-35As to replace the PoAF’s ageing fleet of Cold War-era MiG-29 Fulcrum fighters, which first entered service between 1989 and 1990.

As Poland crept closer to welcoming its first operational F-35As, the nation has been donating examples of its now-waning Fulcrum fleet to Ukraine as the latter continues to repel invading Russian forces following the latter’s unprovoked invasion, which began in February 2022.

In addition to the 32 F-35As, Poland also acquired full mission training simulators, relevant equipment and spare parts, along with a comprehensive training, logistics and maintenance support package to aid its operation of the Lightning II.

So far, 11 Polish F-35As have rolled off the production line at Fort Worth, with the first eight (serials 3501 to 3508) being based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base (ANGB) in Arkansas, where they are being used to support air/ground crew training operations.

In total, 24 PoAF pilots and 90 maintainers will be trained at Ebbing ANGB before the third quarter (Q3) of 2027. Once this contingent has successfully completed their F-35A training operations in the US, the eight Polish F-35As currently based at Ebbing will redeploy to Poland, where domestic training efforts will begin.

Stealth debut: Polish F-35s mark induction with national flypast

On 12 June, the PoAF formally inducted its first three operational F-35As into frontline service during a ceremony at Łask. The event introduced the type to Polish residents for the first time, with all three jets performing ceremonial flypasts over Poland’s largest cities as part of the ‘Welcome to Poland’ operation.

The three F-35As departed Łask in the morning of 12 June, before completing their first flypast over Gdańsk at approximately 0945hrs (local time). After appearing over Poland’s historic Westerplatte peninsula, the aircraft then headed for the nation’s capital, Warsaw, where they flew along the Vistula at the height of the Warsaw Citadel at roughly 1010hrs (local).

Tysiące osób w Gdańsku, Warszawie i Krakowie wyszły dziś spojrzeć w niebo na polskie F-35 #Husarz 🇵🇱

Za tym widokiem stoją miliony Polaków, którzy każdego dnia pracują na siłę naszego państwa. Dzięki Wam możemy inwestować w bezpieczeństwo i budować nowoczesną armię.

To piękny… pic.twitter.com/s3GQv3baPb

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) June 12, 2026

After visiting Warsaw, the Polish Lightning IIs ventured to Kraków, where they conducted a flypast over Wawel Hill at approximately 1035hrs (local). The last city to be included in this demonstration was Łódź, where the aircraft completed a flyover of the Lviv Airmen Roundabout at 1105hrs (local), before heading back home to Łask. This symbolic mission saw Poland’s new F-35As joined by PoAF-operated F-16C/D Block 52+ Fighting Falcons along the route.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter) to comment on the arrival of the F-35A on 12 June, Poland’s President Karol Nawrocki said: “This is a historic day for the Polish Armed Forces and for our security. Poland is joining the elite group of countries that operate fifth-generation aircraft with unique combat capabilities…

“It is the achievement of many service personnel and civilians who worked on the purchase and introduction of the F-35 into the Polish Air Force. It is also the result of a strong, strategic alliance with the [US] and another visible sign of friendship between our countries, especially symbolic in the year marking the 250th anniversary of US independence,” he added.

Myśliwiec F-35 jednocześnie wykrywa, analizuje i przekazuje informacje o zagrożeniach innym elementom pola walki 🇵🇱

Dzięki zaawansowanym sensorom i technologii stealth widzi więcej, leci dalej i zwiększa skuteczność całego systemu obrony. Dlatego F-35 nie wzmacnia tylko Sił… pic.twitter.com/PT6gtaF2bZ

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) June 14, 2026

During the induction ceremony, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence – outlined that 11 additional aircraft will be delivered to Łask over the coming months, with 12 more expected to follow in 2027. Deliveries of all 32 F-35As to Poland are expected to be completed by 2029, with the fleet split between the 32nd BLT in Łask and the 21st BLT in Świdwin.

Both bases are currently expanding their infrastructure – including the construction of new technical facilities and the installation of modern type-specific simulators – with Poland’s F-35A force expected to achieve Full Operational Capability (FOC) in 2030.

From 32 to 64 jets: Warsaw eyes major F-35 fleet expansion

During the induction ceremony on 12 June, Kosiniak-Kamysz revealed that Warsaw’s classified Armed Forces Development Program – which was approved in December 2025 – includes funding plans for two additional F-35A squadrons, which will effectively double the size of the Polish Lightning II fleet.

This document, which covers Poland’s defence priorities and outlines how Warsaw intends to meet them by 2039, has remained largely classified since its signing at the end of last year.

Speaking at the induction ceremony, Kosiniak-Kamysz said: “The program includes not only the 32 F-35A aircraft we are accepting into Polish service today, but also two more squadrons [of Lightning IIs].”

In Poland, a standard fighter squadron is assigned 16 jets, meaning that a further 32 F-35As are being sought by Warsaw to increase its overall fleet to 64 aircraft. Despite this pledge, however, no details were shared as to when these aircraft may be ordered or delivered.

Featured Image: Poland’s first three operational F-35As (serials 3509, 3510 and 3511) fly in formation with a PoAF-operated F-16C Block 52+ Fighting Falcon (serial 4057) during the national flypast conducted during the latter’s induction ceremony on 12 June 2026. Image: Lockheed Martin/Piotr Gubernatorial via Facebook

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