Today, at a ceremony held in Deblin, Poland has signed a $4.6 billion contract for 32 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, becoming the first country in Eastern Europe to fly the 5th-generation aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2024.
The Polish Air Force plans to gradually replace its MiG-29 fighters and Su-22 attack jets with the F-35. Gen. Jeffrey L. Harrigian, the commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa, has attended the acceptance ceremony in Deblin, alongside Lockheed Martin and US Embassy officials.
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The proposed sale was announced in Fall 2019. Back then, the Pentagon said Poland’s acquisition of the F-35 “will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally, which is an important force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.” Besides Poland, the Pentagon has also approached Romania, Greece, Spain and Singapore to sell the F-35 to them.
