Fort Smith officials are continuing to strengthen ties with Poland as the European ally moves to expand its fleet of F-35 fighter aircraft, a mission that includes pilot and maintainer training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
Mayor George McGill recently traveled to Łask, Poland, at the invitation of the Polish Air Force to attend the induction ceremony for Poland’s first F-35A aircraft and sign a Friendship Pact between Fort Smith and the Polish city.
Fort Smith formalizes ties with a Polish community as Mayor George McGill and Mayor Monika Mrowińska of Łask, Poland, sign a Friendship Pact on June 12, 2026, before the first two F-35As are integrated into the Polish Air Force. The pilots and maintainers were trained at Ebbing ANG Base in Fort Smith.
The visit came as Polish officials announced plans to expand the country’s F-35 program further. During the ceremony, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, revealed that the nation’s classified Armed Forces Development Program includes plans for two additional F-35 squadrons.
Poland already has ordered 32 F-35A aircraft. According to Polish defense officials, 14 aircraft are expected to be fully inducted by the end of 2026, with another 12 arriving in 2027. Delivery of the original order is expected to be completed by 2029.
The growing investment underscores the long-term significance of the Foreign Military Sales training mission based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, where Polish pilots and maintainers are training on the aircraft before returning to Europe.
Ebbing is scheduled to train 24 Polish pilots and 90 maintainers through the third quarter of 2027. Aircraft used for training in Fort Smith will eventually be redeployed to Poland.
The Fort Smith Board of Directors approved a resolution May 19 authorizing the Friendship Pact with Łask, recognizing the relationship between the two communities and their connection through the F-35 training mission.
McGill signed the agreement with Łask Mayor Monika Mrowińska during the trip.
“It was an honor to receive an invitation from Poland’s Minister of National Defense and the Mayor of Łask to participate in the induction ceremony of Poland’s new F-35 ‘Husarz’ aircraft into the Polish Armed Forces at the 32nd Tactical Air Base,” McGill said in a statement.
The Husarz name references Poland’s famed winged hussars, an elite cavalry formation that played a significant role in the country’s military history between the 16th and 18th centuries.
The induction ceremony drew some of Poland’s highest-ranking leaders, including President Karol Nawrocki, representatives of the Ministry of National Defense, senior Polish Armed Forces commanders and U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno.
McGill said the visit highlights both the growing relationship between Fort Smith and Poland and the international importance of the training mission headquartered at Ebbing.
“Our participation in this historic event underscores the growing international relationship between Fort Smith and Poland, as well as the strategic importance of the F-35 Foreign Military Sales training mission based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base,” McGill said. “Fort Smith’s selection as the home of this mission has elevated the city’s international profile and created opportunities to build meaningful partnerships with allied nations around the world.”
The first of two F-35As was formally integrated into the Polish Air Force on June 12, 2026, in Łask, Poland, as Fort Smith formalized ties with a Polish community and Poland expanded its F-35 program and deepened its connection to Ebbing’s training mission. The pilots were trained at Ebbing ANG Base in Fort Smith and up to 24 pilots and 90 maintainers will receive training at the base.
City officials said they expect the Friendship Pact to serve as a framework for future cultural exchanges and cooperation between the two communities as the relationship continues to develop through the F-35 program.
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: F-35 Training Mission Continues Building International Links