FORT
WORTH, Texas, Aug. 28,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT)
presented Poland's
first F-35A Lightning II to the Polish government during a
rollout ceremony at Lockheed Martin's F-35 production
facility. This event marks a significant milestone in the Polish
Air Force's history and strengthens the alliance between
the United States and Poland, a key NATO ally.
"Over more than 100-years of the Polish Air Force, there have
been many generations of pilots and aircraft. I am proud to be part
of history today, introducing the F-35 as the next generation,
which will protect and defend Poland's future for many years. We are joining
a strong coalition of 5th generation fighters across
Europe, bolstering air superiority
through allied deterrence," said Major General Ireneusz Nowak, Inspector of Polish Air
Force.
As the most advanced 21st Century Security® solution, the F-35
is the NATO aircraft of choice and will help extend Poland's strong leadership in NATO through
investment in military modernization and enhanced participation in
foreign missions. Poland is one of
several NATO nations to invest in the allied deterrence of the
F-35. With its unmatched interoperability, Poland's F-35s, named "Husarz" to pay homage
to a calvary unit from the country's military past, will connect
assets across domains to increase situational awareness for
Poland and its key European
partners.
"As the NATO aircraft of choice, the F-35 is a powerful force
multiplier and critical to deterring and defeating threats for
Poland and its allies," said
Greg Ulmer, president, Lockheed
Martin Aeronautics. "We are honored to strengthen our enduring
partnership with Poland through
today's celebration, ensuring Polish national security and
long-term capability development for decades to
come."
Senior government and military leaders from Poland and the
United States attended the ceremony to celebrate
Poland's first of 32 F-35As per
its program of record. The first aircraft, designated AZ-01, will
be delivered to the Polish Air Force in December and will be based
at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, Arkansas, where Poland will be the first international
customer to conduct F-35 pilot training.
F-35s are now operating from 32 bases worldwide. To date,
Lockheed Martin has delivered more than 1,000 F-35s, trained more
than 2,540 pilots and 16,690 maintainers, and the F-35 fleet has
surpassed 889,000 cumulative flight hours. Lockheed Martin
continues to work side by side with F-35 operators to ensure allies
remain ahead of the evolving threat.
About Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is a global
defense technology company driving innovation and advancing
scientific discovery. Our all-domain mission solutions and 21st
Century Security® vision accelerate the delivery of transformative
technologies to ensure those we serve always stay ahead of ready.
More information at Lockheedmartin.com.
Please follow @LMNews on X for the latest announcements and
news across the corporation.
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SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics