Poland will soon take delivery of its first F-35 stealth fighters under a defense agreement with the United States, part of Warsaw’s broader effort to reinforce security near the Russian and Ukrainian borders.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the development as US President Donald Trump revealed plans to deploy 5,000 American troops to Poland, a move that comes amid lingering NATO uncertainty about US support for the alliance.
Warsaw ordered 32 advanced fifth-generation F-35 aircraft in 2020 during Trump’s previous administration in a deal valued at $4.6 billion, with all deliveries expected by 2029. NATO chief Mark Rutte and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski both welcomed the surprise troop deployment decision.
While Trump did not elaborate on the deployment, the announcement appeared to reverse an earlier plan to cancel the stationing of 4,000 US troops in Poland, a decision interpreted by some as frustration over NATO partners’ limited backing during the Iran war.
With the conflict in Ukraine still ongoing, Poland has become NATO’s leading defense spender in 2026, dedicating over 4.8 percent of its GDP to military upgrades and major arms acquisitions, largely sourced from the United States and South Korea.
