US deploys F-35A fighter jets in Poland for first time since Ukraine invasion.

The United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) announced on April 1, 2024, the commencement of operations involving four F-35A fighter jets at Lask Air Base, Poland, to reinforce NATO's eastern flank. Deployed from RAF Lakenheath, England, these advanced aircraft mark the first deployment specifically in support of NATO operations in the region since the onset of Russian aggression in Ukraine.
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US F-35A multi-role fighter jet (Picture source: US DoD)

The deployment of the F-35As is part of the United States' ongoing commitment to ensuring the security of the Atlantic alliance. These aircraft are replacing four F-16s previously deployed from Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, highlighting the renewal and intensification of assets dedicated to defending NATO airspace. It is believed that this force has nuclear capabilities and participates in nuclear exercises with NATO.

Lask Air Base, situated near the city of Lodz, has played a pivotal role in regularly hosting NATO fighters, including Air Force F-22s, since the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. This base, which already houses F-16s, is also slated to receive the fleet of Polish F-35s, with the delivery of the 32 aircraft ordered expected to begin at the end of 2025.

Last year, the Air National Guard deployed F-35As to Germany to partake in a series of exercises, demonstrating the adaptability and responsiveness of the US Air Force to current security challenges. Moreover, in February 2022, at the very start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, F-35As from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, were deployed and operated in Estonia, Lithuania, and Romania, actively participating in the protection of NATO airspace and contributing to vital intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations in the region.

According to former USAFE Commander General Jeffrey Harrigian, this initiative underscores the critical importance of the F-35s in NATO's defense posture, both for their capability to conduct combat air patrols and for their contribution to the collection of strategic intelligence. The deployment of F-35As in Poland thus strengthens NATO's deterrence posture at a time when the stability of the region is more threatened than ever.