(SeaPRwire) –   LASK, Poland — Poland is set to take delivery of its first F-35 fighter jets “very, very soon,” according to Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski, who spoke to Digital, as American and Polish forces train together at a key NATO air base near the alliance’s eastern flank.

Digital was granted exclusive access to Poland’s 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, where commanders highlighted hangars being readied for the U.S.-built fifth-generation aircraft, part of Poland’s $4.6 billion acquisition of 32 F-35s from Lockheed Martin.

Although the jets have not yet arrived, the partnership supporting them already has.

Polish and American personnel train, operate and, in some instances, are co-located on the base, underscoring an unusually close military relationship between Warsaw and Washington amid ongoing scrutiny of NATO burden-sharing.

Lt. Col. Pete Nanoslawski, commander of the 52nd Operations Group Detachment 1 of the U.S. Air Force, originally from New York and stationed in Poland for the past five years, told Digital that Poland’s military modernization has substantially deepened cooperation between the two forces.

“We are receiving tremendous support from Polish logistics and infrastructure,” Nanoslawski said while standing alongside Polish commanders on the base.

He noted that Poland’s investments in American military systems and joint operations signal how seriously Warsaw regards threats from Russia. “Their foreign military sales portfolio is insatiable, and justifiably so.”

The close military ties were evident throughout the visit. As Polish commanders discussed cooperation with the United States, they often turned to their American counterparts with familiarity that extended beyond standard alliance language.

“We speak the same language, just with different accents,” Col. pilot Krzysztof Duda, commander of the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, told Digital.

Duda, who studied in the United States and attended the U.S. Air War College, described himself as “a product of the American education system.”

“The union we have with the U.S. militarily, even if we wanted to end it, we could not,” Duda said with a smile. “But we have no intention of ending it.”

Nanoslawski added that the American presence in Poland delivers “enhanced forward presence and the ability to maneuver and adapt swiftly.”

The partnership is now entering a new phase with the integration of the U.S.-built F-35 into Poland’s air force.

Poland signed a $4.6 billion agreement in 2020 to acquire 32 F-35A fighters manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

Duda, who is overseeing implementation at Lask, said the transition involves years of training, infrastructure upgrades and coordination with the United States.

Training to become an F-35 pilot is not only lengthy but also costly — Duda estimates roughly $55 million per pilot.

The base itself has undergone extensive modernization to accommodate the aircraft, including new operational infrastructure, maintenance systems and secure facilities required under American certification standards.

In an interview with Digital in Warsaw, Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski confirmed the first F-35 arrival is imminent. “I can confirm it will be very, very soon,” Zalewski said.

“The F-35 provides critical capabilities, offering air dominance that is vital on today’s battlefield,” he added. “It will be a capability developed together with the Americans.”

As NATO burden-sharing remains a recurring topic in Washington, Poland has emerged as one of the alliance’s strongest military partners, sharply increasing defense spending, procuring American weapons systems and hosting U.S. forces.

For many Polish officers, the threat from Moscow is deeply personal.

Lt. Col. “Shooter,” a Polish F-16 pilot at the base, told Digital that nations on NATO’s eastern flank still carry memories of Soviet domination.

“There are people who lived through communism,” he said. “We remember, and we do not want anything like that to happen again.”

Pointing to Russia’s actions in Chechnya, Georgia, Crimea and Ukraine, he said Poland sees deterrence as essential.

“We have this instinct probably ingrained in our DNA,” Shooter said. “When they act, they will not stop unless the cost of continuing exceeds what they stand to gain.”

According to the U.S. Air Force, Polish pilots began F-35 training in the United States in 2024, including at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas. The 33rd Fighter Wing announced in February that a Polish pilot had completed the first flight in Poland’s new F-35A as part of the training program.

Lockheed Martin told Digital that “integrating the F-35 into the Polish Air Force fleet advances regional deterrence, enhances interoperability and strengthens European security.”

“As demonstrated in recent combat and air policing operations, the F-35 is actively helping defend NATO and allied airspace by deterring and countering threats, and it will safeguard Poland’s national security for decades,” a company spokesperson said.

The company added that preparations are continuing for Poland’s first in-country F-35 arrival ceremony at Lask in June.