Overview
- The first three Polish‑designated F‑35A Lightning IIs arrived at Łask Airbase after a Fort Worth→Lajes→Łask delivery flight, with the jets touching down on May 22.
- Polish F-16s escorted the arrival and the transatlantic movement was supported by a U.S. Air Force KC-46A tanker during the Azores stopover.
- Those aircraft carry serials 3509, 3510 and 3511 while an earlier batch (3501–3508) remains at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for pilot and maintenance training.
- Poland plans to split its F‑35 fleet between Łask and Świdwin airbases, is upgrading its F‑16C/D fleet for better interoperability, and has bought weapons tailored for the F‑35's sensors and strike role.
- Officials say the arrivals strengthen NATO's eastern flank and accelerate Poland's shift from legacy Soviet‑era fighters to modern, networked fifth‑generation aircraft under deliveries that will continue through 2030.