Poland has commissioned its first US-built F-35A stealth fighter at a ceremony at Lask air base, saying the jet will strengthen national security. The $4.6 billion 2020 contract covers 32 aircraft, with staged deliveries through 2029. The move is part of a wider rearmament effort driven by concerns about regional threats and includes orders for tanks, fighters and Swedish submarines.
Poland Commissions First US-Built F-35 Fighters in Major Rearmament Push
FILE PHOTO - Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki delivers a speech during a ceremony to sign a contract for the purchase of 32 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II jets for the Polish Air Force. (is associated with: «Poland puts new F-35 fighter jets into service») Krystian Maj/Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland/dpa
Poland has formally commissioned the first of its US-built F-35A stealth fighters as part of a sweeping rearmament programme, the Polish news agency PAP reported. The ceremony took place at Lask air base near Łódź, where officials said the new jets will bolster the country's defence posture.
President Karol Nawrocki said the arrival of the aircraft would make Poland "safer and stronger in the years ahead." Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and other officials described the multibillion-dollar purchase as a sign of the close strategic partnership between Poland and the United States.
Ahead of the ceremony, the stealth multirole jets performed flyovers above Gdańsk, Warsaw and Kraków, demonstrating their capabilities and offering a public glimpse of the new fleet. Poland signed a 2020 contract worth $4.6 billion for 32 F-35A fighters; deliveries are planned in stages through 2029.
Context And Broader Rearmament
Positioned on NATO's eastern flank, Poland has accelerated defence spending amid concerns about regional security and perceived threats from Russia. As part of the force expansion, Warsaw has ordered additional aircraft and tanks and aims to build the largest conventional military force within the European Union. The navy is also due to receive new submarines from Sweden under separate procurement plans as Poland broadens its maritime capabilities.
Note: The F-35A is a fifth-generation stealth multirole fighter designed for air superiority and precision strikes; Poland's purchase is one of the largest recent acquisitions of the type in Europe.
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