Poland has reached another milestone in its F-35 modernization program after the first Lockheed Martin F-35A Husarz assembled in Italy successfully completed its maiden functional test flight. The aircraft is part of Poland’s order for 32 fifth-generation fighters that will gradually replace the country’s aging Soviet-era combat fleet.
Built at Leonardo’s Final Assembly and Check Out (FACO) facility in Cameri, Italy, the aircraft will eventually join the Polish Air Force alongside jets stationed at Łask Air Base (LCJ) and Świdwin Air Base. The latest achievement follows the arrival of the first Poland-dedicated F-35A at Łask earlier this year.
First Italian-Built Jet Flies
The aircraft, carrying tail number 3517, completed its first functional flight after being assembled at the Cameri FACO facility. It represents the first fighter from the second batch of 16 Polish F-35As being produced in Italy, The Aviationist reported.
Aviation photographer Diego Mor documented the aircraft following the successful flight, marking another visible step in Poland’s fighter acquisition program. Poland divided its order equally between two production lines. The first 16 aircraft are being built at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth, Texas, facility, while the remaining 16 are assembled in Cameri.
The Italian site is one of only two F-35 Final Assembly and Check Out facilities located outside the United States. The second is in Japan.
Modernization of the F-35 Continues
The U.S. Department of State approved Poland’s request to acquire 32 F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) fighters in September 2019 under a deal valued at approximately $6.5 billion. Poland finalized the purchase in January 2020, with deliveries originally planned to begin in 2024.
The F-35A fleet is intended to replace Poland’s MiG-29 and Su-22 aircraft while improving interoperability with NATO allies. Alongside the fighters, Poland has also invested in weapons designed for the F-35 platform, including AIM-120C-8 AMRAAM, AIM-120D-3 AMRAAM, AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder, AGM-158B JASSM-ER, and AGM-88G AARGM-ER missiles.
The first Polish F-35A, designated AZ-01, was officially unveiled at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth facility on August 28, 2024. However, AZ-02 became the first Polish aircraft to fly after completing its maiden flight on December 2, 2024. Initial deliveries have gone to Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas, where Polish pilots and maintenance personnel are receiving training through the Foreign Military Sales program.
Poland expects to complete deliveries of all 32 fighters by 2030. While the fleet was initially intended to operate entirely from Łask Air Base, the Ministry of National Defence later decided to split operations between Łask and Świdwin Air Base.
Cameri’s Strategic Role
Beyond assembling Poland’s aircraft, the Cameri FACO has become one of the most important production centers in the global F-35 program.
The 101-acre facility, operated jointly by Leonardo and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics and owned by the Italian Ministry of Defence, employs around 800 specialists. It assembles both F-35A and F-35B variants, manufactures 835 complete wing sets for the worldwide F-35 program, and serves as the official European Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul and Upgrade (MRO&U) center.
The facility’s role has continued to expand. In March 2025, it completed planned depot maintenance on an F-35A assigned to the U.S. Air Force’s 495th Fighter Squadron, marking the first American F-35 in Europe to undergo scheduled maintenance there.
European customers can request production at Cameri with U.S. government approval, and aircraft assembled there meet the same production standards as those built in Fort Worth under oversight from the U.S. Defense Contract Management Agency.
Although Cameri produces about 15 aircraft annually compared with roughly 130 at Fort Worth, it has become increasingly attractive because of shorter production timelines. The facility is currently manufacturing Technology Refresh 2 (TR-2) aircraft, which are not affected by the Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) production delays experienced in the United States and can later be upgraded to the newer standard.
Poland’s latest successful test flight marks another step toward introducing its full fleet of fifth-generation fighters as deliveries, pilot training, and production continue through the end of the decade.