Summary: Poland has named its new F-35A Lightning II aircraft "Husarz," honoring the historic Winged Hussars, a famed cavalry unit from the 16th and 17th centuries. This decision, made through a public competition, reflects a deep connection to Poland's military heritage.

-The F-35 Husarz joins other domestically named foreign-made aircraft in the Polish Air Force, such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon, known locally as Jastrz b. Poland plans to integrate 32 of these stealth fighters, with production split between Fort Worth, Texas, and Cameri, Italy.

-The first Polish F-35s will be used for pilot training in Arkansas before being stationed at tactical air bases in Lask and Swidwin, Poland. Unlike their namesake, the F-35s will feature subdued markings to maintain their stealth capabilities.

Poland Names New F-35 Aircraft 'Husarz' in Tribute to Legendary Cavalry

NATO ally Poland announced that the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II aircraft in service in its military will receive a very special moniker, one tied to its rich military history: Husarz. The name, which translates in English to "Hussar," was given to the fifth-generation stealth fighters in Polish Air Force service following a public competition.

It is arguably unimaginable that any other name would have been chosen – and other contenders reportedly included Halny, Harpia, Dracarys, and Duch.

Husarz pays homage to the infamous Winged Hussars that were considered to be among the finest cavalry units of the 16th and 17th centuries during the era of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The elite unit was originally formed in 1503, and many of its members came from the Polish nobility. It took part in numerous engagements and helped Poland and her allies win more than 16 major battles during the commonwealth's "Golden Age," which saw conflicts with Ottoman and Russian forces.

The Winged Hussars – called so because they donned uniforms that included a pair of wings that arched from the end of the saddles to over their heads and fluttered in the wing – incorporated military influences from Russia, the Byzantine Empire and the Mongol cavalry initially, and later from the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire.

Their most famous engagement was at the Siege of Vienna when they helped defeat the Ottoman forces and broke the siege of the Austrian city.

"In the 18th century, the Winged Hussars were relegated to ceremonial roles before being disbanded. However, they have remained an important part of Poland's military heritage ever since," noted TheWarZone.

A Local Name For the International F-35

Poland has long had a tradition of giving domestic names to its warplanes, even those manufactured abroad. As AeroFlap reported, the F-16 Fighting Falcon is in service with the Polish Air Force as the Jastrz b (Falcon).

This also won't be the first time that the F-35 has been domestically "rebranded."

The Israel Air Force's (IAF's) modified Lightning IIs are in service as the F-35I Adir (The Mighty), while the UK's Royal Air Force (RAF) designated their F-35s the Lightning.

Getting Ready to Fly

The wings of Poland's F-35 Husarz aren't fluttering in the wind just yet but could soon be. On April 29, Lockheed Martin released images of the first Polish F-35A in assembly at its Fort Worth, Texas, facility. Designated AZ-01, the aircraft recently achieved the weight on wheels milestone: a significant moment as it moves down the production line.

"The Polish Air Force's first F-35 was lifted by an overhead crane earlier this month from an electronic mate and alignment station where its forward and rear fuselage sections were joined to the wing center fuselage assembly," Lockheed Martin announced. "The aircraft will now travel to final assembly, where its control surfaces will be added, along with final systems and engine installation."

Deliveries of Poland's 32 fifth-generation fighters will begin later this year. Production of the Polish aircraft will be divided between Fort Worth and a final assembly and check-out line at Cameri, Italy – and each of the sites will produce 16 of its aircraft, completed in the Technical Refresh 3 (TR-3) configuration, FlightGlobal reported.

The first of Poland's aircraft will also be initially stationed at Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Arkansas for pilot training. In the coming years, Poland will establish a unit to operate the F-35 at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Lask, in the central part of the country. The base is home to a squadron operating the F-16C/D. A second squadron will be established at the 21st Tactical Air Base in Swidwin, northwest Poland, in 2027. The base is currently home to a squadron flying the Soviet-era Sukhoi Su-22 ground-attack aircraft.

Lacking the Pageantry of the Wing Hussars

Though named in honor of the Winged Hussars, Poland's F-35s won't have any of the famed unit's pageantry. While it would be stunning to see the Husarz painted to resemble the cavalry troopers that would obviously impact the stealth capabilities of the fifth-generation multirole fighter.

Even the national aircraft markings will be subdued, and General Wieslaw Kukula, the Polish Army's chief of the general staff, confirmed that the F-35 Husarz will be operated with low-visibility markings.

"There will be no traditional white and red checkerboards on Polish F-35s. On this model, we will use greyscale checkboards," he explained, making it the first Polish Air Force aircraft not to use its distinctive, colorful markings.

"This is a conscious decision – we were even informed how much it would affect the probability of detection," he says. "The most important thing is 'warfighting' and the safety of our pilots."

The spirit of the Winged Hussar will live on!

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].