F-35 jets finally arrive in Poland ending six-year wait
F-35 fighter jets arrive in Poland (photo: x.com/MON_GOV_PL)
The first American fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets have arrived in Poland. The country received the aircraft six years after signing the official procurement contract, according to Defense Express and Poland's Ministry of National Defense.
Details of fighter jet delivery
The first three aircraft, locally named Husarz, were transferred at the 32nd Air Base in Lask. The jets arrived in the country escorted by Polish F-16 fighters.
Poland's defense ministry emphasized that stealth technology is a key feature of the aircraft, enabling them to effectively carry out missions in the event of a conflict with an adversary equipped with advanced anti-access systems.
"We are joining the group of countries with 5th generation fighters," the ministry said.
#F35PL już w Polsce! Dołączamy do grupy państw z myśliwcami 5. generacji. F-35 posiadają właściwości „stealth”, które stanowią kluczowy element umożliwiający skuteczną realizację zadań w przypadku konfliktu z przeciwnikiem posiadającym zaawansowane systemy antydostępowe. pic.twitter.com/eQQBHao1z3
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (@MON_GOV_PL) May 22, 2026
Delivery timelines and arms
Warsaw signed a contract to purchase 32 F-35 fighter jets in late January 2020. The first aircraft was completed as early as fall 2024, but it and several subsequent jets remained in the United States for training Polish crews.
Overall deliveries of the aircraft will continue until 2029. This means full fulfillment of the order will take nine years from the time the agreement was signed.
Poland's F-35s are expected to have advantages over Russia's Su-35S and Su-57 aircraft in avionics, radar systems, and stealth capabilities.
Nowi strażnicy polskiego nieba! pic.twitter.com/4tVOW6t9NB
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) May 22, 2026
Also, the Husarz aircraft will have access to a wide range of precision-guided weapons, including JSM cruise missiles with a range of 555 km, JDAM guided bombs, and GBU-39 SDB munitions (already in use by Ukraine).
At the same time, Poland is considering strengthening its Air Force by joining the sixth-generation fighter jet program GCAP.
F-16s for Ukraine
Previously, there have been several significant delays in the delivery of Western fighter jets. In particular, Ukraine has yet to receive the promised F-16s from Norway. It later became known that all six planned aircraft were stuck at an aviation repair facility in Belgium, despite preparation for their transfer having lasted more than 2.5 years.
In addition, Ukraine has been waiting for F-16s from Belgium for three years. In Brussels, the delays have been attributed to various factors, including an alleged lack of clear delivery timelines and claims from military leadership about a shortage of trained Ukrainian pilots for the aircraft.
At the same time, to address the personnel gap, Ukraine has received mobile F-16 simulators for pilot training. These unique systems are designed to significantly speed up the training of Ukrainian pilots and shorten their path to their first combat mission.
