US presents first F-35 fighter jet destined for Poland

On Wednesday, 28 August, the United States will present the first of the F-35 multi-role fighter jets that are to be delivered to Poland.

As reported by RMF24, the presentation will take place at the production plant in Fort Worth, Texas. The Polish Ministry of Defence will be represented by Deputy Ministers Paweł Bejda and Cezary Tomczyk.

The model to be presented on Wednesday has the factory marking AZ-01. It will come off an assembly line that is over a kilometre long.

Meanwhile, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz will meet with Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin on Thursday in Washington.

The Polish Ministry of Defence signed the contract for the supply of 32 F-35A aircraft on 31 January 2020. The contract also includes a package of logistics services and training.

Kosiniak-Kamysz has previously stated that Poland could send its MiG-29s to Ukraine, as requested by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, but not until it receives a more modern replacement, including the F-35s ordered from the United States.

Zelenskyy said at a press conference on Tuesday that he would like Poland to agree to give Ukraine its Soviet-era fighter jets, such as MiGs.