Poland Inducts Its First F-35s as Washington Adds USD 4 Billion in Financing
Łask, 12 June 2026
Key points
- Poland inducted its first F-35As into service at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask on 12 June, marked by a flyover of two jets under F-16 escort; the airframes had arrived in country on 22 May
- At the ceremony, US Under Secretary of State Thomas DiNanno announced a new USD 4 billion Foreign Military Financing loan, taking the total credit available to Warsaw to USD 20 billion
- Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the armed-forces development programme funds two further F-35 squadrons beyond the 32 jets ordered in 2020 for USD 4.6 billion
- All 32 aircraft are to be delivered by 2029
Poland inducted its first F-35As into service at Łask on 12 June, and the United States used the ceremony to announce a further USD 4 billion in Foreign Military Financing — taking Warsaw’s available US credit to USD 20 billion on the same day Washington detailed the forces it is withdrawing from NATO.
The induction marked the type’s formal entry into Polish service, with a pair of F-35As — known in Polish service as the Husarz — flying over Westerplatte, Warsaw and Kraków under F-16 escort. The jets reached Poland on 22 May; the 12 June event was the ceremonial milestone. US Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno announced the new USD 4 billion loan on the spot, lifting the cumulative Foreign Military Financing line extended to Poland to USD 20 billion.
The programme is already growing. Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said two additional F-35 squadrons are written into the armed-forces development programme, beyond the 32 aircraft Poland ordered in 2020 for USD 4.6 billion, with deliveries running to 2029. At sixteen aircraft to a Polish squadron, that points to a substantially larger eventual fleet.
The proprietary read. The juxtaposition is the story. On the day two senior European officials were detailing the fighters, tankers and maritime patrol aircraft the United States is pulling out of the NATO Force Model, Washington was extending credit to its most committed eastern-flank ally to buy more American jets. The withdrawal of US capabilities and the financing of US exports are not in tension — they are the same policy, shifting the burden of presence onto allied balance sheets while keeping the supply chain American. Poland is the willing test case. Tracked in Signal No. 81.
Related · Poland's F-35A Husarz at Łask
First three Polish F-35A Husarz land at Łask (22 May 2026)
Sources: Polish Ministry of National Defence · US Department of State · Lockheed Martin.
First reported in Signal No. 81, 12 June 2026.
