Poland will take delivery of its first American F-35 fighter jets within weeks, arming a NATO ally that shares a direct border with Russian military forces and remembers what life under Moscow’s boot felt like.
Polish pilots are training now at Łask Air Base, 75 miles southwest of Warsaw, where U.S. and Polish forces conduct joint operations near NATO’s eastern frontier. The base sits roughly 500 miles from Kaliningrad, Russia’s heavily militarized enclave on the Baltic Sea.
The F-35 Lightning II represents the most advanced fighter aircraft America produces. Poland ordered 32 of them in a $4.6 billion deal finalized in 2020, making it the first former Warsaw Pact nation to fly the stealth jet. The first four aircraft are expected to arrive at Łask before summer.
For Polish airmen who came of age under Soviet domination—which ended only in 1989—the transition carries personal weight. These pilots trained on Russian-designed MiG-29s and Soviet-era doctrine. Now they’re mastering American fifth-generation technology that can evade Russian air defenses and strike targets before enemy radar even registers a threat.
The timing matters. Russia’s military remains bogged down in Ukraine, but Moscow has repeatedly threatened Poland and the Baltic states. Putin views NATO expansion into former Soviet territory as an existential threat. Poland, which shares a 130-mile border with Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and a 250-mile frontier with Russian ally Belarus, sits on the fault line.
Poland has spent more on defense as a share of its economy than any other major NATO member—over 4 percent of GDP, nearly double the alliance’s 2 percent target. Warsaw ordered the F-35s before Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, recognizing the threat early.
The jets give Poland striking power it has never possessed. The F-35 can penetrate advanced air defenses, coordinate with other NATO aircraft in real time, and deliver precision strikes deep into contested territory. In a Baltic crisis, Polish F-35s based at Łask could reach Kaliningrad in minutes.
American and Polish forces train together regularly at Łask, which also hosts rotational U.S. Air Force units. The integrated training reflects Poland’s role as a frontline NATO state and a key U.S. ally in deterring Russian aggression.
Poland expects all 32 F-35s delivered by 2030. The country has also purchased American Patriot missile batteries, HIMARS rocket systems, and Apache helicopters—building a military designed to fight and win against Russian forces if deterrence fails.
Key Points
- Poland will receive its first four F-35 fighter jets before summer, the first of 32 ordered in a $4.6 billion deal
- Polish pilots who trained on Soviet-era jets are transitioning to America’s most advanced stealth fighter at a NATO base 500 miles from Russian territory
- Poland spends over 4% of GDP on defense—double NATO’s target—and has purchased more American weapons than any former Warsaw Pact nation
https://www.foxnews.com/world/written-our-dna-polish-pilots-who-remember-soviet-rule-prepare-americas-most-lethal-fighter-jet – May 21, 2026
