Poland confirms extra F-35 jets and changes aircraft markings

Poland plans to acquire two additional squadrons of F-35 fighter jets, bringing the total fleet to 64 aircraft by 2039. Deputy defence minister Cezary Tomczyk confirmed that the decision is recorded in strategic documents and that the first batch of 14 jets will be delivered by the end of the year. The existing contract for 32 jets, signed in 2020, will be complemented by a second order of 32 aircraft. Pilot training is ongoing, with four pilots already ready to fly and dozens more being trained in the United States; each pilot’s training costs about $12 million, and a flight helmet costs $0.5 million. The United States will increase its Foreign Military Financing for Poland by an additional $4 billion.

Polish F-35s will no longer carry the traditional white‑red checkerboard insignia. A 2025 amendment to the law on military symbols allows a low‑visibility gray pattern to be used, improving the stealth characteristics of the aircraft. All F-35s delivered to Poland now feature the new gray markings, a change aimed at reducing radar detectability while retaining the national symbol in a modified form.