MiG-29 Transfers to Ukraine Possible Only After F-35s Arrive in 2026, Says Poland

Polish Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland likely won’t be able to transfer its remaining Soviet MiG-29 jets to Ukraine until it receives newer replacements.

As Polish news outlet Wirtualna Polska reported on Aug. 27, Kosiniak-Kamysz said MiG-29s are still being used to protect Polish airspace, and transfers to Ukraine wouldn’t be possible for the time being until the new F-35 stealth fighters it ordered in 2020 enter service.

“Only after receiving the new aircraft, will it be possible to dispose of old aircraft differently, such as the MiG-29s, which are currently still used, among others, for missions protecting Polish airspace. Then we will make decisions,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

The first F-35 fighter Poland purchased was set to leave the factory and be unveiled in a presentation at the Fort Worthon factory on the afternoon of Aug. 28, with a planned meeting between Kosiniak-Kamysz and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

The first F-35 stealth multirole fighters Poland purchased in 2020 are expected to arrive by 2026, whereas training for Polish pilots is expected to start at the Ebbing Air National Guard Base in Fort Smith, Arkansas this summer.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky appealed to Poland on Aug. 26 for more military aid, particularly the Soviet MiG-29s Poland has in its arsenal.

In July, after signing a bilateral security agreement with Poland, Zelensky’s office said Poland would “consider the possibility of transferring at least one additional MiG-29 squadron (at least 14 fighters) to Ukraine.”

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The announcement comes with the promise of further support and follows criticism within Australia of the government’s slowness to act.

Poland has previously donated at least 10 Soviet MiG-29 fighters to Ukraine as it modernized its arsenal.

According to Lockheed Martin, the plane’s manufacturer, Poland purchased 32 F-35A Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) variants in 2020, which would be stationed at the airbase in Świdwin and Łask once operational. An F-35A is expected to cost $82.5 million per unit.

In July, the US Department of State announced a second $2 billion Foreign Military Financing (FMF) direct loan agreement with Poland to help modernize the Polish military. This is to help Warsaw purchase an unspecified number of F-35 aircraft, Patriot missile systems, and Abrams main battle tanks.