The Polish Air Force (PAF) announced on Monday (29) the name chosen for its new F-35 fighters: Husarz, or in Portuguese, Hussar. The name, which pays homage to a traditional cavalry unit in the country, was chosen among several suggestions presented to the public through social media.
Through X, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces celebrated the choice of the name for the new jet. “Dear Aviation Enthusiasts, we are pleased to announce that our Polish F-35 fighter now has an official name: HUSARZ”, announced the military, who also thanked the public for participating in the campaign, which began on 12/04. In addition to Husarz, the public also had to choose between Halny, Harpia, Dracarys and Duch.
On the other hand, the image used to promote the new name also draws attention. Probably generated by some Artificial Intelligence program, it shows an F-35 with two engines, although the jet is single-engine. The structures under the wings also attract attention.
Drodzy Fascynaci Lotnictwa,
z ogromną radością ogłaszamy, że nasz polski myśliwiec F-35 ma już oficjalną nazwę: HUSARZ 🇵🇱
Dziękujemy wszystkim za udział w głosowaniu i zaangażowanie w wybór nazwy samolotu! pic.twitter.com/wPF5hFET5r
— Sztab Generalny WP (@SztabGenWP) April 29, 2024
But returning to the name of the aircraft, Husarz pays homage to the cavalry of the Winged Hussars of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. According to the portal The War Zone, the unit formed in 1503 was “considered the elite branch of the country's armed forces, with many members being selected from among the Polish nobility. It was between the Battle of Lubiszewo (1577) and the Siege of Vienna (1683) that constituted its “Golden Age”; with the hussars winning more than 16 major battles during that period against Ottoman and Russian forces.”
“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.”, explains the website.
The naming of the F-35 also follows the Polish tradition of naming its planes, even if they are manufactured abroad and already have their own names. F-16s, for example, are locally called Jastrząb (Falcon). With the Husarz, Poland also becomes the third F-35 user to name the plane. The first was the Israel Air Force, which calls the F-35i Adir (The Mighty). The British nicknamed theirs simply Lightning.
AZ-01 at linii produkcyjnej❗️
Pierwszy polski myśliwiec F-35 trafił już w fazę końcowego montażu w fabryce w Fort Worth 🇺🇸.
W Polsce nowe myśliwce wylądują w 2026 roku.
📷 Lockheed Martin pic.twitter.com/B600jtKR3a
— Sztab Generalny WP (@SztabGenWP) April 29, 2024
Also yesterday, the Polish General Staff and Lockheed Martin announced that the PAF's first F-35A is on its way to final assembly. The first planes should be delivered later this year in the United States and will arrive in the country in 2026, when the first class of pilots is graduated. The purchase of 32 planes was signed in January 2020, valued at US$4,6 billion.
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