Last Polish F-35PL Fighter Jet Built in the US Completed Before Production Moves to Italy.

Poland is expected to receive the final F-35PL Husarz assembled in the United States before production of its remaining aircraft shifts to Italy. This sixteenth aircraft built in Fort Worth closes the first industrial phase of a program intended to deliver 32 fifth-generation fighters to the Polish Air Force by 2030. The next 16 aircraft will be completed at the final assembly and checkout facility in Cameri near Milan, as Warsaw continues a broad restructuring of its armed forces in response to the persistent Russian military threat on NATO’s eastern flank.

Poland placed the order on 31 January 2020, when Warsaw signed an agreement with the US government worth approximately USD 4.6 billion for 32 Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft. The package includes the fighters, spare engines, simulators, pilot and technician training, and initial logistical support. Acquired under the Harpia program, the aircraft are designated F-35PL in Polish service and carry the name Husarz. They are intended to replace the MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets inherited from the Soviet period, which no longer meet current requirements in terms of availability, survivability, and upgrade potential.

Related News: Poland Deploys First F-35A Husarz Fighters to Strengthen NATO Eastern Flank Air Defense

According to information published by Polska Zbrojna on 5 August 2026, aircraft 3516 conducted a test flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility in Texas. It is the last of the 16 F-35PLs assembled in the United States under the current contract. The first Polish aircraft remained at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for pilot conversion and maintenance training. The first three aircraft assigned to operations in Poland arrived at the 32nd Tactical Air Base at Łask on 22 May 2026, beginning the domestic phase of the program.

The assembly of the remaining 16 aircraft at Cameri places the Polish fleet within a European industrial structure already used by Italy and the Netherlands. Operated by Leonardo in cooperation with Lockheed Martin, the site carries out final assembly and supports heavy maintenance and regional sustainment activities. Belgium has also sought to direct the production of future aircraft to Cameri in order to distribute part of the industrial workload between the US partnership and European facilities. This arrangement does not make the program independent from the United States, but it provides a regional base for servicing aircraft operated by several European air forces.

The F-35PL combines low-observable design features, sensor fusion, and networked operations. Its AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array radar can detect and track airborne and surface targets while also providing high-resolution mapping functions. The AN/AAQ-40 Electro-Optical Targeting System and the six infrared sensors of the AN/AAQ-37 Distributed Aperture System provide coverage around the aircraft for missile warning, night navigation, and threat identification. The AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suite adds the ability to detect hostile emissions and support operations in contested airspace.

Powered by a Pratt and Whitney F135 engine producing about 40,000 pounds of thrust with afterburner, the F-35A can reach Mach 1.6 and has a published combat radius of more than 1,090 kilometers using internal fuel. Its internal weapons bays can carry AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles and guided air-to-surface munitions without exposing external stores that would increase its radar signature. In less contested environments, underwing hardpoints can be used to increase weapons capacity, although this reduces the aircraft’s low-observable characteristics.

For Poland, the transition involves more than replacing two ageing fleets on a one-for-one basis. The Husarz can operate inside areas covered by layered air-defense systems, detect radar emitters, generate targeting data, and pass that information to other platforms. It can support Polish F-16s, Patriot and Narew air-defense units, long-range artillery, and allied forces deployed in the region. This ability to collect and distribute data allows the aircraft to function as a forward node within a joint operational network, particularly for air defense, suppression of enemy air defenses, and precision strikes against targets at extended range.

Its introduction forms part of a wider modernization effort. The Polish Land Forces are receiving M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks, South Korean K2 tanks, K9 and Krab self-propelled howitzers, and HIMARS and Chunmoo rocket artillery systems. Air-defense capabilities are being developed through the Wisła and Narew programs, while the armed forces are also preparing to field AH-64E Apache attack helicopters. At sea, the three Miecznik frigates, Kormoran II mine countermeasure vessels, and coastal batteries equipped with Naval Strike Missiles are intended to expand Poland’s ability to operate in the Baltic. The changes concern both force size and quality, with greater emphasis on networking, long-range fires, and interoperability.

Against the background of Russian military pressure and the continued militarization of the Kaliningrad region, Warsaw is building a force structure intended for both deterrence and combat. The F-35PL gives the Polish Air Force a penetration and intelligence-gathering capability it did not previously possess, while linking land, air, and naval components more closely. For NATO, this development adds defensive depth between the Baltic region and Central Europe. It also increases Poland’s reliance on US software, weapons, and logistics networks, which means that fleet size alone will not determine operational effectiveness during a prolonged crisis.

Written By Erwan Halna du Fretay - Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Erwan Halna du Fretay holds a Master’s degree in International Relations and has experience studying conflicts and global arms transfers. His research interests lie in Security and strategic studies, particularly the dynamics of the defense industry, the evolution of military technologies, and the strategic transformation of armed forces.