We're waiting for the F-35

– Implementation of the F-35 programme requires very restrictive protection of classified information. The rigorous approach stems from many years of experience of the US side in ensuring the safety of information and lessons learned from situations that may have endangered the F-35 programme. Their 5th generation aircraft are an area of interest for many countries," said Colonel Krzysztof Duda, commander of 32 BLT in Łask, pilot of F-16. “In order to avoid any leakage of data which could have a negative impact on the maintenance of technological and operational advantages, circumstantial restrictions have been introduced and safety conditions have been created, all those associated with the F-35 programme must be strictly respected,” added the officer.

The construction of a fresh region for F-35 in the base in Łask was so under constant, strict supervision. We are talking about a immense task involving 10 investment tasks carried out in an area that had previously been covered in forest. There is now a modern region full ready to receive and operate 16 F-35 aircraft, aircraft handling, pilot training and SIL soldiers (engineering and aircraft service).

Access to the F-35 region is subject to additional restrictions – there will not be much of the soldiers serving in Grace. No 1 can get close fresh facilities without authorization. The advanced shaft along the barrier of the unit protects region F-35 from curious glances and unauthorized shooting attempts. In the future, only a fewer will be able to see for themselves that the Polish military most likely owns the most modern fighter base of the 5th generation in Europe.

Base expansion formally started in 2022 with the submission of the first investment proposals. The appropriate construction of the facilities lasted about 2 years and ended before the planned date, in November 2025.

James Bond base

The details of the creation of fresh facilities for the F-35 – due to the nature of the task – are kept secret, but the immense scale of the full task shows that about 5 1000 people were working on the construction of 1 of them. We are talking about a building that will be "heart" and "brain" of the full F-35 zone. The facility is so strictly protected that most of the staff of the base are not allowed into any rooms.

– It fundamentally resembles James Bond's secret base, built according to assumptions that minimise the hazard of any interference by undesirables, including in peculiar unauthorised access to information. Any installation of the building which could be a weak point of the building has been subject to additional safety measures and is strictly supervised by staff designated for that purpose. Only those who will work in F-35 aircraft will gain access to the site, says Colonel Pil. Duda.

Construction of this and another facilities required detailed verification of the persons active – construction workers who did not have adequate access to classified information performed their tasks in the soldiers' ace. The military made certain that everything went as planned, and paid attention to all detail. “Our soldiers have ensured that no incidents happen during each phase of the construction, which could pose a threat to the facility in the future”, said Captain Marek Sobieraj, Press Officer 32 BLT.

The 5th generation aircraft, which will scope the Polish air force, will revolutionize our possible for deterrence. photograph by Piotr Gubernat/Combat Camera DORSZ

The closed region F-35 besides includes a maintenance hangar (HOT) where respective machines can be operated simultaneously. It is simply a state-of-the-art large-area building with most likely the largest (about 120 m wide) gate in Europe, which no pillars restrict.

New quality

Although 32 BLT was not formally a organization in the context of the construction of the facilities (the full investment was managed by the 12th Regional Airport Branch in Warsaw), soldiers and staff of the base in Łask actively participated in the plan of fresh infrastructure and the creation of method and organisational requirements related to the adoption of fresh aircraft. – As future users and administrators, we were able to comment. We participated in consultations and looked after all matters. During the implementation of the task there were cyclical meetings with the U.S. Party, which set circumstantial requirements,” says deputy chief of infrastructure of the base in Łask (the names of the people active in the F-35 program are mostly classified).

Before the 32 BLT soldiers can usage fresh airport facilities and infrastructure, the US commission will gotta check everything and approve. – Experts will measure whether the completed task meets all the requirements of the American website. This is simply a essential condition to let a peculiar part of the base to be used," explains BLT commander 32. The colonel was drinking. Krzysztof Duda mentions problems with specified an inspection, which another countries implementing F-35 in service had. The Polish side drew conclusions and learned from their mistakes.

People active in the F-35 programme do not want to talk about specifics, but the apparent advantage of the Polish investment is that a separate and independent region was created in Łask, built completely from scratch. There is no mention of modifying the old infrastructure for fresh fighters. The head of the engineering-aircraft training section praises the HOT equipment as sensational. “I can tell you straight about the fulfilled dream,” he says and adds: “When we operate F-16, we gotta usage moving aggregates that supply air conditioning for cooling electronics. It is now built into the hangar infrastructure.

Work seeks man

Polish technicians, to operate F-35 in the future, now hold training in the United States. any have already returned to the country, others are preparing to leave. The head of the SIL training section at 32 BLT points out that the vast majority of them have experience working on the F-16 and no major problems with the transition to the fresh platform. – It is the same subject, only another tools – says enigmatically. He besides points out that although their American standards apply during training, any issues are solved in Polish, due to differences in regulations. “Most frequently this applies to the structure and organisation of work. In Poland, for example, it is standard that young SIL officers have greased hands. They know precisely how to work on a plane, which helps to manage people properly. In the United States, they were very amazed that as an officer, I knew what to do with the engine. The SIL officers do not get their hands dirty," the captain says. Each strategy has disadvantages and advantages. Ours is different from American but very good – he adds.

The transformation of the base is simply a immense undertaking that translates into more jobs. – Etat unit will increase powerfully – by about 25%. We become a crucial employer in the region, the largest in the district, and I think that 1 of the largest in the full Łódź Voivodeship – says commander 32 BLT. The unit is constantly looking for fresh hands to work, and the aircraft specialists are on the weight of gold. – We are waiting for young people with cognition of English: electronics, mechanics, IT specialists. I would like specified people to apply to the Air Force Sub-Office School after graduating from advanced school for 1 year of training and then come to us – the head of technicians invites. What encourages possible candidates? – Very good earnings and the anticipation of working on modern equipment are undoubtedly advantages. Besides, we are talking about the improvement of the class for many years, due to the fact that we are just starting our adventure with the F-35 – the captain says.

Liability

The 32 BLT representatives do not hide the satisfaction of the function they had to play in the context of the modernization of the Polish air force. – affirmative energy besides prevails among soldiers and base staff who are not straight associated with the F-35 programme. Everyone's waiting for the plane to land here. They are arrogant to service in an individual whose importance will increase not only on a national scale, but on the full east flank of NATO," says Captain Sobieraj.

Thanks to Husarz, the unit in Grace will scope fresh operational capabilities in time, and at the same time will become a kind of educational base in the F-35 range, which will not only be utilized by 32 BLT personnel. “This is where the first pilots and technicians trained in the United States will be sent to serve. The instructors who will then build their competence in our armed forces will begin their service. For this process of information flow to work smoothly, we have been working with the base in Swidwin for any time now. We request to share cognition and experience in order to make the abilities of others,” said Colonel Pił. Duda. Commander 32 BLT points out that if his base helps 21 BLT in Swidwin, the process of preparing them will velocity up. “And consequently, they will be able to relieve us of any operational tasks,” the officer adds.

Implementation of the F-35 to the Polish Air Force is simply a number of challenges that the Polish military will face for the first time. 1 of the topics is the operational integration of 2 tactical flight wings, which will usage the F-35 (F-16 are only in 2 SLT) or the integration of the 4th and 5th generation platforms. any of these challenges are and will be undertaken at higher levels of command, but 32 BLT already feels a large work for this process as a co-author writing a fresh chapter in the past of Polish air force. Building the F-35 region in Grace completely from scratch was an unprecedented action not only on the Polish Armed Forces scale. The success is remarkable and appreciated by abroad delegations, but 32 BLT does not remainder on the laurels. And this is just the beginning. We are all waiting for Husar's communicative to continue.