Lockheed Martin presents the first Polish F-35 Husarz fighter jet

Lockheed Martin has presented the first Polish F-35A Lightning II to the Polish government during a launch ceremony at the F-35 production plant.

Here's What We Know

"For more than 100 years, the Polish Air Force has seen many generations of pilots and aircraft. I am proud to be a part of history today, presenting the F-35 as the next generation that will protect Poland's future for many years to come. We join a strong coalition of 5th generation fighters across Europe," said Major General Ireneusz Nowak.

Senior government and military leaders from Poland and the United States attended the ceremony to celebrate the first of 32 F-35As in Poland. The first aircraft, named AZ-01, will be delivered to the Polish Air Force in December and will be based at the Abbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. In addition, Poland will be the first international customer to train F-35 pilots.

Currently, F-35s operate from 32 bases around the world. To date, Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,000 F-35s, trained more than 2,540 pilots and 16,690 engineers, and the total F-35 flight time has exceeded 889,000 hours.

Source: Defence Industry Europe