On Thursday, February 5, 2026, the Ministry of National Defence of Poland announced via social media that the first two F-35A Husarz multirole fighter aircraft, scheduled to be redeployed in May this year to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, are in the final stage of production at the FACO Fort Worth facility in Texas, operated by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics (part of Lockheed Martin). The aircraft have just entered the paint shop, where several layers of low-observable (stealth) coatings and national markings will be applied.
Photos: Ministry Of National Defence
Two additional F-35A Husarz multirole fighter aircraft are already in the final phase of production. The aircraft are now entering the painting stage.
These are fighters with the following serial numbers:
- 3509 (AZ-09)
- 3510 (AZ-10)
Under the contract, the first eight aircraft will be used to train Polish pilots in the United States. Husarz aircraft numbered from 3501 to 3508 will remain overseas until approximately the third quarter of 2027. Aircraft starting with serial number 3509, however, will be delivered directly to Poland. The first delivery of aircraft is expected later this year.
The contract for the acquisition of 32 fifth-generation fighter aircraft was signed in 2020. Production of the Husarz jets began three years later. The first F-35As will be assigned to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask, where construction of a modern zone with full infrastructure for these aircraft was completed in late 2025.
Ministry of National Defence of Poland
Meanwhile, on January 8 this year, the last, eighth, F-35A Husarz aircraft designated for the training program of Polish Air Force personnel was delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
Earlier, on October 29 last year, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces confirmed the maiden flights of the sixth and seventh aircraft, AZ-06/3506 and AZ-07/3507. This followed aviation spotters documenting the test flights of the fifth aircraft, AZ-05/3505, and the aforementioned sixth jet on October 20 and 21. In total, 32 F-35A Block 4 aircraft were ordered by the Ministry of National Defence of Poland on January 31, 2020, under a contract valued at 4.6 billion USD (approximately 17.9 billion PLN).
They joined four aircraft that had completed their maiden flights earlier. The first to fly was AZ-02/3502 on December 2, 2024, followed by AZ-01/3501 on December 3, which had been the first aircraft presented to Poland during the rollout ceremony on August 27, 2024. On December 17, 2024, information emerged confirming the maiden flight of the third aircraft, AZ-03/3503, while on February 4, 2025, the maiden flight of the fourth aircraft, AZ-04/3504, was confirmed.
It is also worth recalling that on September 25 last year, during a meeting of the Standing Subcommittee on the Polish Defence Industry and Technical Modernization of the Armed Forces within the Sejm National Defence Committee, it was announced that in 2026 the manufacturer would deliver a further three aircraft (later revised to two), followed by 16 aircraft in 2027, four aircraft in 2028, and two aircraft in 2029.
As for the redeployment to Poland, the two aircraft discussed, AZ-09 and AZ-10, will be delivered to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in May this year, followed by two more aircraft in July, when the first squadron will be formed. The second squadron will be established at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Świdwin (a total of 14 aircraft, from AZ-09 to AZ-23, will be delivered directly to Poland).
Half of the aircraft for Poland are being produced at the aforementioned FACO Fort Worth facility in Texas, with the other half assembled at FACO Cameri in Italy. According to the schedule, the first eight aircraft (AZ-01 to AZ-08) will remain stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base to support the training program until approximately the third quarter of 2027, after which they will be redeployed to Poland.
Kolejne dwa wielozadaniowe samoloty F-35A #Husarz są już w ostatniej fazie produkcji. Maszyny właśnie trafiają do malowania.
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✅To myśliwce o numerach:
✔️3509 (AZ-09)
✔️3510 (AZ-10)
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Zgodnie z umową osiem pierwszych samolotów posłuży do szkolenia polskich pilotów w Stanach… pic.twitter.com/a397lx1QqI— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) February 5, 2026
