Poland officially entered service with its first four F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, delivered from the United States to Warsaw in late May and formally joined the Polish Air Force on June 12 at the Łask air base. During the ceremony, two F-35As and two F-16s performed a flyover over Polish cities.
The delivery is part of a $4.6 billion contract signed in 2020, with Warsaw aiming to have 14 F-35s delivered by the end of this year and all 32 ordered by 2029. The Polish defence ministry also plans to fund the purchase of two additional F-35 squadrons in its armed forces development program.
In 2024, after a public competition, Poland chose the name "Husarz" for its F-35 fleet, referencing the historic winged hussar cavalry.