Summary and Key Points: Poland is advancing its air capabilities with the arrival of its first F-35A Lightning II, locally designated as the F-35 Husarz.

-Lockheed Martin announced that the aircraft, AZ-01, is currently receiving its low-observable stealth coating, bringing it closer to rollout.

-Poland has ordered 32 of these fifth-generation stealth fighters to replace its aging MiG-29s, with deliveries extending through 2030. 

Poland's F-35 Husarz is On the Move

Aerospace giant Lockheed Martin released images of the first of the Polish Air Force's F-35s on Wednesday and announced that the aircraft – AZ-01 – will next receive its low-observable (LO) stealth coating. Poland has ordered a total of 32 of the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fifth-generation stealth aircraft.

"Poland's first F-35 is on the move!," stated the Lockheed Martin official account on X (formerly Twitter). "AZ-01 has been moved to the final finishes facility to receive its stealth coating, bringing it one step closer to rollout. Poland's 32 F-35s will strengthen NATO and European allies in the region."

According to a report from international military analyst firm Janes, once the F-35 is handed over to the Polish Ministry of Defense, which could come by the end of this month, it won't actually fly to Europe. Instead, "AZ-01 will be delivered to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for pilot training."

Deliveries of Poland's nearly two-dozen F-35s will continue through 2030, as Warsaw seeks to phase out its Cold War-era Mikoyan MiG-29 (NATO reporting name Fulcrum") fighters. Last month, it was reported that Warsaw could send the remaining MiG-29s to Ukraine.

By the end of the decade, the NATO alliance member will establish a unit to operate the F-35 at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, in the central part of the country. It will later do the same at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Swidwin, northwest Poland.

NATO allies the Czech Republic (Czechia) and Romania will also begin to operate the Lightning II by the early 2030s.

Honoring the Winged Hussars

It was in May that Warsaw announced that it would locally designate the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II as the F-35 Husarz. The designation honors the historic Polish Winged Hussars, a famed 16th to 17th century cavalry unit.

The name, which translates in English to "Hussar," was given to the fifth-generation stealth fighters that will be in Polish Air Force service following a public competition.

Husarz pays homage to the infamous Winged Hussars that were considered to be among the finest European cavalry units of the 16th and 17th centuries during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The elite unit was originally formed in 1503, and many of its members came from the Polish nobility. The Winged Hussars took part in numerous engagements and helped Poland and her allies win more than 16 major battles during the commonwealth's "Golden Age," which saw conflicts with Ottoman and Russian forces.

The Winged Hussars – called so because they donned uniforms that included a pair of wings that arched from the end of the saddles to over their heads and fluttered in the wing – incorporated military influences from Russia, the Byzantine Empire, and the Mongol cavalry initially, and later from the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire.

Poland has long had a tradition of giving domestic names to its warplanes, even those manufactured abroad. The F-16 Fighting Falcon is in service with the Polish Air Force as the Jastrz b (Falcon).

This isn't the first time that the F-35 has been domestically "rebranded." The Israel Air Force's (IAF's) modified Lightning IIs are in service as the F-35I Adir (The Mighty), while the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) designated their F-35s the Lightning.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected]. 

Image Credit: Creative Commons.