The first three new Polish F-35 combat jets are home. On 22 May 2026, they landed at Łask near the city of Łódź, west of the capital of Warsaw.
With the arrival the Polish Air Force can slowly start its transition from the MiG-29s and decommissioned Sukhoi Su-22s to a type that is more ready for today’s combat environment. For that reason, Poland ordered 32 F-35A’s in 2020, for USD 4.6 billion. Internationally they go by the name Lightning II, but Poland has dubbed them Husarz. It is a reference to the horse-mounted cavalry in the Polish armed forces with wings on their backs of the past.
11 Polish F-35s
The three F-35s that arrived in Poland flew from the Lockheed-Martin production plant in Fort Worth, Texas, to Poland. Although arriving on Łask, part of the Polish F-35 fleet will be based with units at Świdwin — the former Sukhoi Su-22 base. With the arrival the total Polish F-35 fleet is now on 11 aircraft, with eight delivered earlier to Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, for Polish F-35 pilot and ground crew training. By January 1, 2027, the Polish F-35 strength at Łask is expected to be 14 planes strong.
Armament of Polish F-35s
The Polish F-35s will be armed with AIM-9X-2 Sidewinder and AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) missiles and AGM-158B JASSM-ER cruise missiles.
Modernising the Polish Air Force
Apart from the 32 new F-35As, the Polish Air Force has struck a deal with the USA to modernise 48 F-16C/D Fighting Falcons already on strength. Moreover, South Korea is delivering 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft, of which 12 are already added to the Polish Air Force. | © 2026 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com. Photo: one of the three F-35A Husarz that arrived on Łask Air Base on 22 May 2026 (Photo: Polish Ministry of Defence)