Poland already decided four years ago to purchase purchase of F-35s from Lockheed Martin four years agonow the country has decided to give the fighter jet a national name: The Israeli Air Force calls its F-35I variant by the Hebrew name Adir (“Mighty One”), the UK and the USA call the aircraft Lightning-II and in Poland the F-35s will henceforth be known as Husarz.
The chosen Polish name was selected in a public competition with a total of around 800 suggestions (the five most popular names were recently put to the vote) and refers to a specific chapter in the country’s military history. The name referred to the heavy cavalry of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the final vote, Halny (a foehn wind), Harpia (half-human half-bird-like creature from ancient Greek and Roman mythology), Dracarys (dragon fire) and Duch (ghost) lost out to Husarz.
Winged stealth hussar
The Husarz were known as “winged hussars” in German-speaking countries. They were raised by the Polish Sojm from 1503 and were considered the most elite branch of the country’s armed forces, with many being selected from the Polish nobility. Between the Battle of Lubiszewo (1577) and the relief of the Siege of Vienna (1683) was their “Golden Age”. During this period, the Husarz won 16 battles against both Ottoman and Russian troops. Defeated by the Swedes in 1709, they were demoted to ceremonial roles before being disbanded in 1776.
Nevertheless, they have been an important and identity-forming part of Poland’s military heritage ever since. Characteristic and visible from afar were the “wings”, two wooden or metal brackets attached to the back or saddle – historians disagree on this – on which eagle feathers were attached in a close row. These turned the riders, who charged close together at around 40 km/h over the last 100 metres, into a “heavenly host”, as it were, which must have had a terrifying and demoralizing effect on the enemy. At any rate, this must have been the case on September 12, 1683 at Kahlenberg, between Währung and Hernals, which was not secured by the Ottomans. On the other hand, experts are still arguing today as to whether the wings were not presented as far too large afterwards or whether they were really only intended for ceremonies. In any case, only a few thousand of the relief army commanded by the Polish king Jan III Sobieski were of this special formation, which was expensive to set up and maintain (special horses and other costly equipment).
Numerous military video Youtubers have dealt with the often mystified phenomenon of the “winged hussars”, see video above, but also here, here and here. And on September 10, 2016, on the occasion of the 333rd anniversary of the “Battle of the Kahlenberg” (which was actually fought from this mountain), a Polish re-enactment cavalry group in historical equipment demonstrated the fighting skills of the legendary troops at the Museum of Military History as part of the “Commemorative Ride 1683”.
First aircraft at the end of the year
Back to the F-35: If everything goes according to plan, the Polish Air Force will be able to take delivery of its first Husarz in the USA at the end of this year, presumably with the low-viz version of the chessboard emblem. Production of the first Polish F-35A, AZ-1, began in spring 2023 with the manufacture of part of the wing assembly on the F-35 center wing assembly line at Lockheed Martin in Marietta/Georgia. And these days the manufacturer has published a videoin which the first Polish aircraft is shown for the first time with “weight on its wheels” at the final assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas. However, in this video and in the photos that have also been published, all views of the inside of the machine have been painstakingly obscured.
Poland’s fleet will be equipped with Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) and later with Block 4 capabilities. As reportedTR-3 will form the hardware-computer backbone of the F-35’s Block 4 to enable its future enhanced weapon and sensor capabilities. A humorous note: The Polish F-35 will therefore not be a twin-engine variant, as suggested – erroneously or in the exuberance of naming – on a new subject of the Polish General Staff.
More than four percent for defense
Once the F-35s are in service in Poland, they will operate with the Block 52+ F-16C/D Viper and MiG-29 fighter aircraft of the Polish Air Force and – with their end in sight – the unique Su-22 Fitter-K swing-wing JaBos. In addition the WLP is also introducing South Korean FA-50GF light combat aircraft and has recently expressed interest in procuring F-15EX Eagle-II for pure air superiority.
Poland is NATO-frontline state and, as with the Germans, has a long history of suffering with regard to the Russians and therefore disappeared from the map of Europe for some time in the past. In view of the Russian war of aggression in neighboring Ukraine since the beginning of 2022 (whose western weapons supplies run via Polish airfields and border crossings), Warsaw – even under the new, more EU-friendly government – currently spends 4.23% of its GDP on its armed forces. This is more than twice as much as the NATO target of two percent. The state leadership would even be prepared to host nuclear weapons in the country as a deterrent in line with NATO’s nuclear sharing program.
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