The 32nd Tactical Air Base in Grace reached the ninth F-35. This is the first aircraft from the Italian production line – present the deputy prime minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, reported. It is the first “European” Husarz to be assembled in Italy and took a test flight there in late July.
Huszar No. 3517 is the ninth F-35A aircraft transferred to the Polish Air Force. And at the same time the first to be mounted and tested in Italy. At FACO (Final Assembly and Check-Out) Leonardo & Lockheed Martin in Italian Cameri, final assembly, strategy integration, stealth coatings are performed, then investigating and lap F-35 before being handed over to the user. Earlier machines with numbers 3501–3516 were assembled at Lockheed Martin plant in Fort Worth, Texas.
Let us remind you that the first 8 aircraft (3501–3508) Lockheed Martin transferred straight to Ebbing Air Base in Arkansas, where they service to train Polish pilots and technicians. In May the F-35A numbers 3509–3511 were searched for Grace (32 Tactical Aviation Base), where from scratch a modern region was built to operate 5th generation fighters. Another 5 Hussars (3512–3516) went there in late August.
– The plan is to deliver 4 to 5 F-35A aircraft by the end of the year, and deliveries will proceed until 2029 – he said a fewer days ago during XXXIV International Defence manufacture Salon in Kielce Robert Weitzman, manager of global Business improvement F-35 at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
Poland ordered 32 multitasking fighters of the 5th generation F-35A Lightning II in 2020. The $4.6 billion contract besides includes training in the US 24 pilots (16 already completed this process) and 90 ground personnel, 8 full mission simulators (Full Mission Simulator) and an Integrated Training Center, F-35 service equipment, spare parts and long-term logistical support. The first squadron of Polish F-35A (16 aircraft) will be stationed in 32 BLT and the second in 21 Tactical Aviation Base In Swidwin, where infrastructure is presently being prepared for both 5th generation aircraft and FA-50PL squadron.
