Poland receives F-35A aircraft.

World military news update, December 29, 2024: Poland receives its first F-35A fifth-generation aircraft as they arrive at Ebbing Air Base for pilot training.

Poland receives its first F-35A aircraft; Greece wants to supply old missiles to Ukraine… these are the highlights of today's world military news.

Greece wants to supply old missiles to Ukraine.

According to the Pronews news portal, the Greek government is preparing to send 24 RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine.

The publication emphasizes that these missiles have been in use for nearly 40 years. They were taken from the reserves of the Greek navy and air force.

RIM-7 Sea Sparrow anti-aircraft missile. Photo: Getty

In May 2024, images of Ukraine's FrankenSAM air defense system emerged, including Soviet-era launchers with RIM-7 Sea Sparrow missiles and American AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles.

In December 2017, the Osa-AKM air defense missile system of the Ukrainian Armed Forces began to be equipped with R-73 air-to-air missiles due to a shortage of standard missile ammunition.

Poland receives its first F-35A aircraft.

The first two F-35A Lightning 2 multirole fighter jets intended for the Polish Air Force (Polish designation: Hussar) have landed at Ebbing Air Force Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas, USA.

This event marks the opening of the international F-35 pilot training center at Ebbing. The base will also host F-35 pilots from Finland, Germany, Switzerland, and Singapore in the coming years.

In September 2025, six Polish Air Force F-35A fighter jets will be stationed at Ebbing Air Base, where they will be used to train personnel for the Polish armed forces. Currently, the first two Polish pilots are undergoing the initial phase of theoretical training at Eglin Air Force Base (Florida).

Poland's first F-35A fifth-generation fighter jet. (Photo: Defense News)

Poland's 32nd Air Base (Lask) is expected to receive its first F-35A aircraft in early 2026. One of the two squadrons being refitted with F-35s by this Eastern European nation will be based there.

The Polish Air Force's purchase of F-35A fighter jets (conventional take-off and landing version) was carried out within the framework of the Harpia program, part of the Polish Armed Forces' technical modernization plan for the period 2021-2035. The procurement decision was announced after a comprehensive market analysis conducted by the Polish Air Force.

By September 2019, the U.S. State Department had approved the potential transfer of 32 F-35A fighter jets, along with related equipment and services, to Poland under the Foreign Military Sales program, with a total contract value estimated at approximately $6.5 billion.

The official signing ceremony for the contract to purchase 32 F-35A Lightning-2 fighter jets for the Polish Air Force, Block 4 version with Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) package, took place on January 31, 2020. The contract also includes personnel training and logistical support, including the supply of spare parts, simulators, and automated logistics and information systems. The contract cost is $4.6 billion.

Assembly of the first F-35A aircraft for the Polish Air Force began in April 2023. The handover ceremony took place in Fort Worth, Texas, in August 2024. Flight testing of the F-35A for Poland took place in early December 2024. The first six F-35s will be delivered to Poland between 2024 and 2025. The first F-35A will arrive in Poland in 2026. Deliveries will continue until 2030.

China tests ballistic missile for anti-ship mission.

Satellite imagery of an area in the Taklimakan Desert in China's Xinjiang has been released online, showing miniature models of warships. These objects are placed on 6-meter-wide guide rails to simulate the vehicles' maneuverability.

These models appeared on China's CCTV television channel, showing a model aircraft carrier being attacked by anti-ship ballistic missiles. The attacking missiles could be the DF-21D or DF-26B, which the Chinese military has touted as "aircraft carrier killers".

A model of a warship is being used as a target for Chinese ballistic missiles. Photo: Defense News

Regarding this event, Western media reported and pointed out that Iran had previously done something similar when it built a 2/3 scale model of an aircraft carrier. However, they also expressed skepticism about the likelihood of success in using ballistic missiles for anti-ship missions.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/ban-tin-quan-su-the-gioi-29122024-ba-lan-nhan-may-bay-f-35a-366842.html