Poland has taken another important step in its air modernization program with the progress of production of two more multi-role combat aircraft F-35A Lightning II Husarz.
The planes have already entered the final phase of the assembly line and are now moving on to the painting phase, signaling that delivery is nearing.
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The two new jets correspond to the examples with the serial numbers 3509 (AZ-09) and 3510 (AZ-10). These flights mark the beginning of the direct deliveries to Poland, as stipulated in the contract concluded with the United States.
According to the official schedule, the first eight F-35A Husarz — numbered from 3501 to 3508 — will remain in the United States for the education and training of Polish pilots. These aircraft are expected to remain in the country until around the third quarter of 2027. Starting with copy 3509, the fighters will be sent directly to Polish territory, with the first delivery expected as early as 2026.
The contract for the acquisition of 32 fifth-generation aircraft was signed in 2020 and represents one of the largest recent investments in the Polish Armed Forces. Production of the Husarz variant began three years later in accordance with the program’s industrial planning.
The first operational F-35As will be assigned to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask. The unit received at the end of 2025 a new operational area with fully developed and modern infrastructure, specially prepared for the operation of fifth-generation combat aircraft, including hangars, support systems and advanced maintenance facilities.
With the phasing in of the F-35A Husarz, Poland significantly strengthens its air defense capabilities, its interoperability with NATO allies and its strategic presence on Europe’s eastern flank.
Why “Husarz”?
The name F-35A Husarz was chosen by Poland as the national designation for the country’s F-35A Lightning II in line with a historical and symbolic tradition in the Polish Armed Forces.
Husarz is the Polish word for “hussar” and refers directly to the Polish Winged Hussars, one of Europe’s most famous and feared cavalry formations in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Just as the Hussars dominated the battlefield on the ground, the F-35A is considered a dominant platform in the modern airspace.
Source and images: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej (Poland) – X @MON_GOV_PL. This content is created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editors.
