Poland received its first F-35A Husarz fighters in a transitional version – without the AN/APG-85 radar and with an incomplete Block 4 package. The purchase of 32 aircraft costs about PLN 20 billion, but annual maintenance alone will exceed PLN 1 billion, posing a huge burden on the defence budget.
The first three Polish F-35s, named Husarz, landed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask in late May 2026. The official ceremony took place on June 12, with top state officials praising the aircraft as a generational leap – a stealth supercomputer that revolutionises the Polish Air Force. By the end of 2026, Poland is to have 14 of these machines, with deliveries of two squadrons completed by 2029 and full combat readiness expected in 2030.
Yet behind the fanfare lies a less glamorous reality. The F-35 has chronically low readiness rates. A June 2026 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that only about a quarter of the entire U.S. fleet is fully mission-capable at any given time. Shortages of spare parts and persistent maintenance issues ground a large portion of the aircraft.
Technical shortcomings and high maintenance costs
The catalogue of problems is long. In December 2022, an F-35B crash at Fort Worth was caused by harmonic resonance in the engine that cracked a fuel line. All flights were halted pending fixes. Later, a magnet in the engine’s integrated power package was found to contain a Chinese alloy, violating U.S. defence regulations. More recently, the new AN/APG-85 radar has been delayed, forcing Lockheed Martin to deliver F-35s without the radar – though Polish aircraft still get the older AN/APG-81, so they are not flying blind.
The biggest issue concerns the Tech Refresh 3/Block 4 upgrade. The TR-3 computer and new avionics were supposed to enable advanced sensors and weapons, but development has been years behind schedule. Delivery of the full Block 4 package has been pushed back to 2031. As a result, Polish Husarze are being delivered in a “transitional” configuration – without the key radar and with incomplete software. “After 25 years of work, it should be clear to everyone that the very concept of the F-35 is flawed,” said Dan Grazier, director of the national security reform programme at the Stimson Center.
The cost of keeping the Husarzy in the air
Beyond acquisition, operating the F-35 is extremely expensive. The Pratt & Whitney F135 engine burns about 1,350 gallons (over 5,000 litres) of fuel per hour, translating to between PLN 19,000 and PLN 28,000 per flight hour. Annual sustainment costs are estimated at over PLN 1 billion, and that is just for 32 aircraft. Poland also faces a huge personnel challenge: according to U.S. standards, one F-35 requires about 90 support personnel. The country needs at least 50-60 pilots and hundreds of technicians and engineers. Full pilot training from scratch costs about $11-12 million per pilot, as per GAO analysis. The new hangar and logistics base in Łask already cost nearly PLN 1 billion. Furthermore, Poland bought the aircraft “off the shelf” without any offset agreement, so major repairs will have to be done in the United States or Italy, adding extra costs and delays.
“For 32 F-35s we will need at least 50-60 pilots. Fortunately, these machines require only one pilot – that is one of their advantages,” said Gen. Pilot Tomasz Drewniak, former Inspector of the Air Force. Gen. Marek Sokołowski, Commander of the General Command of the Armed Forces, confirmed that 93 technicians and support staff have already been sent to the U.S. for training.
Despite flaws, a crucial asset
Despite all these shortcomings, the F-35 remains an indispensable tool for Poland’s defence strategy. Its sensor fusion, stealth, and network-centric capabilities make it a flying command centre. “This aircraft will be fully integrated with the Polish command network and NATO systems. It will become a hub of data feeding many weapon systems,” said Col. Pilot Krzysztof Duda, commander of the Łask base. The helmet alone costs about $500,000 and projects the battle picture directly onto the pilot’s visor.
The Polish military is already planning to buy two more squadrons of F-35s, also in the context of nuclear sharing. “If we want to increase deterrence capabilities, air superiority is one of their foundations. Building the ‘sword’ – means that can strike the enemy far and painfully – is now the main principle,” said Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. The F-35, however imperfect, is the only option that fits this vision.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. Lockheed Martin / MON
