On Saturday, May 10, 2025, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced on social media that the first group of pilots had completed the initial stage of flight training on Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II multirole aircraft in the United States.
Photo: Polish Ministry of National Defence
“Huge congratulations to the Polish pilots who yesterday completed the first stage of training on F-35 aircraft in the United States 🇺🇸. Professionalism and incredible experience – that’s what makes this success possible. Thank you for strengthening Poland’s defense capabilities and building interoperability with our allies through your service. These are the foundations of our security,” wrote the Minister of National Defence on his profile on the social media platform X.
The first flight of a Polish pilot at the controls of an F-35A Husarz took place on January 31 of this year. Another milestone was the first aerial refueling, carried out on March 6 in cooperation with a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 126th Air Refueling Wing of the U.S. Air Force. Currently, six pilots of the Polish Air Force are training in the United States on this new type of aircraft.
So far, Lockheed Martin has delivered at least 4 out of the 32 F-35A Block 4 aircraft ordered by Poland. According to the schedule, a total of eight aircraft will be stationed in Ebbing to support the training program through 2027.
In total, 24 pilots and 92 technical personnel will be trained. Polish pilots will complete instructor-level training in Ebbing, enabling future pilots to be trained in Poland at the Integrated Training Center, which will house eight full mission simulators.
The first aircraft are expected to arrive in Poland between late 2025 and early 2026, followed by the formation of the first squadron at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask. The second squadron is set to be formed in 2030 at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Świdwin.
https://twitter.com/KosiniakKamysz/status/1921107821099102521
