F-35 fighter jets to fly across Poland in nationwide welcome flight

Poland is preparing a highly visible welcome for its newest and most advanced combat aircraft. This Friday, three F-35A fighters will perform a symbolic flight over key Polish cities as part of an official public introduction of the jets to the country.

The event, branded as a “welcome to Poland”, marks the ceremonial start of service for the fifth-generation aircraft in the Polish Air Force and is intended to show citizens what their defence spending is delivering.

Route of the ceremonial F-35 flight

Deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk outlined the plan for the special flight on TVN24. According to his announcement, three F-35s will take off from the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask and follow a route over several major national landmarks.

The flight plan includes:

• Departure from Łask air base
• Flyover of Kraków, including the Wawel area
• Flyover of Gdańsk, above Westerplatte
• A final leg to Warsaw, following the Vistula River corridor
• Return to Łask air base

The formation flight is scheduled for 12 June and is designed as a symbolic tour of the country, highlighting places of historical and national significance.

Tomczyk stressed that the public has a right to see the equipment financed from the state budget, describing the F-35 acquisition as a fundamental step change for the Polish armed forces.

F-35 in Polish service: contract and basing

Poland signed its F-35 contract on 31 January 2020, ordering 32 F-35A aircraft together with a training package and a stock of engines. The net value of the deal is 4.6 billion US dollars.

In Polish service, the aircraft carry the name Husarz, a reference to the famed Polish winged hussars. The first three F-35s arrived at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask on 22 May, marking the beginning of their physical presence in the country.

The Polish F-35 fleet will be split between two main locations:

• 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask – already hosting the first aircraft
• 21st Tactical Air Base in Świdwin – also being prepared to receive F-35s

Both bases are undergoing infrastructure upgrades to support the new fighters. This includes facilities for maintenance and training, with mission simulators planned as part of the ground-based training environment for pilots and ground crews.

Delivery schedule and operational readiness

According to current information, 13 F-35s have left the Lockheed Martin production line in Fort Worth, Texas, for Poland so far. By the end of the current year, 14 aircraft are expected to be on Polish territory.

The delivery timetable foresees:

• Aircraft continuing to arrive through the mid-2020s
• 12 additional F-35s scheduled for delivery in 2027
• Completion of all deliveries by the end of 2029

While the public welcome flight is a major ceremonial milestone, the key question for defence planners is when the jets will be fully ready to perform combat duties over Poland.

The current projections are:

• Initial operational capability (IOC) – the ability to carry out basic air policing and airspace patrol missions – is expected around 2027–2028
• Full operational capability (FOC) – full integration into the force structure and the ability to conduct the entire spectrum of designated missions – is anticipated around 2030

These timelines depend heavily on the pace of pilot and technician training, as well as on the completion of necessary infrastructure at Polish bases.

Pilot training and technological leap

Training for Polish F-35 personnel is already under way. Pilots and maintenance specialists are currently being trained at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, United States. According to the Polish side, domestic training is expected to begin in Poland in the autumn, once facilities and instructors are in place.

The transition to the F-35 is regarded as a demanding step for pilots moving from older-generation aircraft. The jet combines stealth, advanced sensors, and networked capabilities, making it significantly more complex than legacy platforms. Test pilot Scott “Shark” McLaren, who has flown the F-35 for 16 years, has highlighted in earlier interviews that the move to this aircraft requires a major adjustment in how pilots think about missions and manage information in the cockpit.

For the Polish Air Force, the introduction of the F-35 represents a generational shift in technology and doctrine. The nationwide flight on 12 June is intended not only as a celebration of this leap, but also as a public demonstration of how Poland’s air defence is being modernised for the coming decades.