Poland is preparing to buy 32 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets under an agreement signed in January 2020, while aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin plans to give the country long-range unmanned aerial vehicles to increase the operational capacity of the F-35.

Speaking at the MSPO international defence industry fair in Kielce, Poland, the company said: “The United States and Poland are interested in the use of the next generation of long-range unmanned aerial vehicles in conjunction with F-35s. This request was also included in the Technical Modernization Plan issued by the Polish Ministry of Defence in 2019.”

 Lockheed Martin wants to work with local defence manufacturers to develop and produce unmanned aerial systems in partnership with Poland.

Warsaw signed a $4.6 billion contract for the F-35s. Deliveries of platforms are expected to begin in 2024.