The first Polish pilot has completed the instructor training course on the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet at Ebbing Air National Guard Base. Under the January 2020 contract, the Air Force will acquire 32 multirole F-35 fighter jets.
Congratulations to the pilot and the entire training team
At the U.S. National Guard Air Base in Fort Smith (Ebbing Air National Guard Base), Arkansas, Polish pilots who will operate F-35 fighter jets are undergoing training. Today, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces announced on social media that the first Polish pilot has completed the instructor training course on the F-35 Lightning II at Ebbing Air National Guard Base.
“This is another step in building Poland’s defense potential and strengthening cooperation with our American allies. Congratulations to the pilot and the entire training team,” reported the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces (SG WP) on social media.
The Air Force awaits its fighter jets
In the U.S., a total of 90 technical personnel and 24 F-35 pilots are to be trained, including to the instructor level. All of them are to train on at least six fifth-generation aircraft, which will then be delivered to Poland.
Meanwhile, the remaining personnel will be trained domestically, based on the purchased Ground Training System and with the support of instructors trained in the USA.
The presence of next-generation fighter jets in the Air Force (SP) would not have been possible without the January 2020 decision. At that time, then-Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak signed an agreement for the acquisition of 32 multirole F-35A fighter jets for the Air Force, worth $4.6 billion. Deliveries to the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask will begin in 2026.