Poland’s F-35 program advances with pilot training in the U.S., symbolizing deeper NATO integration, modernization of air power, and a national blend of military heritage with fifth-generation combat capabilities.
Last August, NATO member Poland took delivery of its first Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II, serial number AZ-01. In December, that aircraft and another F-35A arrived to begin pilot training at Ebbing Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Arkansas.
Last year, the F-35A was officially redesignated the “Husarz” to honor Poland’s famed Winged Hussars cavalry of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The first Polish hussars of the skies have completed their training this month.
Before heading to Ebbing, the two pilots underwent theoretical and simulator training at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida, earlier this year. A second group of pilots began training last month.
“For Poland, today is all about achieving an operational milestone and investing in our shared defense,” said Maj. Gen. Ireneusz Nowak, inspector of the Polish Air Force, attended a ceremony at Ebbing ANGB last Friday.
“Training in the U.S. builds more than skills; it builds trust, interoperability, and a deep bond with our American counterparts. We are proud to be the first F-35 partner to reach this phase at Ebbing.”
The two Polish pilots are the first to complete their training at the base.
“Big congratulations to the Polish pilots who, in the United States, completed the first stage of training on F-35 aircraft yesterday. Professionalism and incredible experience are what make up this success. Thank you for your service, strengthening Polish defense capabilities and building interoperability with our allies. These are the foundations of our security,” wrote Poland’s Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in a post on X.
More Cooperation Between the Polish “Hussars” and the Americans Yet to Come
As part of an agreement between Washington and Warsaw, at least six Polish F-35As, the conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, will be stationed at the ANGB facility in Arkansas, the second dedicated international F-35 training center.
Poland is the first allied nation to send its pilots to the site, while in the future it will also host Finnish, German, and Singaporean pilots.
Deliveries of the Husarz aircraft should be completed by the end of this year. The aircraft will train twenty-four Polish aviators on the fifth-generation multirole fighter. Poland has committed to purchasing thirty-two F-35s, valued at $4.6 billion. After the half dozen are sent to Ebbing ANGB, the Husarz will begin to arrive in Poland.
Deliveries of Poland’s nearly three dozen F-35s will continue through 2030, allowing Warsaw to phase out its Cold War-era Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters, and even older Sukhoi Su-22.
By the end of the decade, the NATO alliance member will establish a unit to operate the F-35 at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, in the central part of the country. It will later do the same at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Swidwin, northwest Poland.
The F-35 isn’t the first Western-made fighter to be adopted by a NATO member state. The Polish Air Force also operates the F-16 Fighting Falcon, which is locally designated the Jastrzab. As Poland receives its F-35s, Warsaw will likely send its remaining MiG-29s to Ukraine.
About the Author: Peter Suciu
Peter Suciu has contributed over 3,200 published pieces to more than four dozen magazines and websites over a thirty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].
Image Credit: Shutterstock/ Spyros Vasileiou.
