The first Polish F-35A Husarz flight on 31 January 2025. With Łask Airfield now certified to receive the type, the first aircraft will arrive in Poland in the coming weeks. (US Air Force)
Poland’s Łask Airfield has been certified to operate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the country’s prime minister’s office announced on 19 March.
The 32nd Tactical Aviation Base in central Poland, that currently accommodates Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52+ Fighting Falcon combat aircraft, is now cleared to begin receiving the first of 32 F-35A Husarz ‘stealth’ jets ordered by the Polish Air Force (Inspektorat Sił Powietrznych: ISP).
“The next step in modernising the Polish Air Force. The Łask Airfield has undergone certification for the F-35, and Polish pilots are already training [in the US] to soon carry out missions over Poland,” the prime minister’s office said.
The ISP is acquiring the F-35A to replace its ageing MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’ fighters, with the first aircraft (AZ-01) being handed over to the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) during a ceremony at the Fort Worth production facility in Texas in August 2024.
Deliveries to Łask Airfield are due to commence in the coming weeks, with all 32 expected to be in service at the base by the end of 2030.
For more, please see Feature: Poland accelerates and expands revamp of air force to counter Russia
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