Lockheed Martin presented Poland’s first F-35A Lightning II to the Polish government during a rollout ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s F-35 production facility. This event marks a significant milestone in the Polish Air Force’s history and strengthens the alliance between the United States and Poland, a key NATO ally. As the most advanced 21st Century Security® solution, the F-35 is the NATO aircraft of choice and will help extend Poland’s strong leadership in NATO through investment in military modernization and enhanced participation in foreign missions. Poland is one of several NATO nations to invest in the allied deterrence of the F-35. With its unmatched interoperability, Poland’s F-35s, named “Husarz” to pay homage to a calvary unit from the country’s military past, will connect assets across domains to increase situational awareness for Poland and its key European partners.
“As the NATO aircraft of choice, the F-35 is a powerful force multiplier and critical to deterring and defeating threats for Poland and its allies. We are honored to strengthen our enduring partnership with Poland through today’s celebration, ensuring Polish national security and long-term capability development for decades to come,” said Greg Ulmer, president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
“Over more than 100-years of the Polish Air Force, there have been many generations of pilots and aircraft. I am proud to be part of history today, introducing the F-35 as the next generation, which will protect and defend Poland’s future for many years. We are joining a strong coalition of 5th generation fighters across Europe, bolstering air superiority through allied deterrence,” said Major General Ireneusz Nowak, Inspector of Polish Air Force.
Senior government and military leaders from Poland and the United States attended the ceremony to celebrate Poland’s first of 32 F-35As per its program of record. The first aircraft, designated AZ-01, will be delivered to the Polish Air Force in December and will be based at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Poland will be the first international customer to conduct F-35 pilot training. F-35s are now operating from 32 bases worldwide. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,000 F-35s, trained more than 2,540 pilots and 16,690 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has surpassed 889,000 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin continues to work side by side with F-35 operators to ensure allies remain ahead of the evolving threat. F-35s are advancing NATO deterrence and interoperability in Europe, where Poland and allies face threats not seen in a generation.
Through the sustainment of thousands of highly-skilled Polish jobs, we support national economic growth and deliver world-leading innovation. Lockheed Martin’s PZL Mielec facility, one of Poland’s largest defense exporters, develops Poland’s local industrial base and plays a critical role in the global Black Hawk supply chain. And the unmatched capabilities of programs like the F-35 stealth fighter, Javelin and HIMARS are redefining Poland’s national security while increasing interoperability with European and NATO allies. Lockheed Martin is a global defense technology company driving innovation and advancing scientific discovery. Lockheed Martin all-domain mission solutions and 21st Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready.
