Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz described the aircraft as a game changer that would significantly strengthen the military’s operational capabilities.
The US-made aircraft landed at the 32nd Tactical Air Base in Łask near the central city of Łódź shortly after 6 p.m. local time, state news agency PAP reported.
Poland has ordered a total of 32 F-35 multirole fighters from US defence company Lockheed Martin, with deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2029.
"This is a great moment that truly changes the operational capabilities of the entire Polish military," Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters at the base after the aircraft arrived.
He said the jets symbolised strong transatlantic cooperation.
"All this equipment—the F-35s, Apache helicopters, Abrams tanks—are also symbols of transatlantic cooperation, in which Poland is an absolute leader," he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that the acquisition process had taken years, with the contract for the aircraft signed in 2020.
He thanked current and former officials involved in the project.
He also said the Polish aircraft were the first fifth-generation fighter jets stationed on NATO’s eastern flank.
Paweł Szefernaker, representing President Karol Nawrocki at the ceremony, described the aircraft as a major strengthening of Poland’s armed forces.
"The best pilots in the world are today receiving the best equipment in the world," Szefernaker said.
He said the process leading to the acquisition began at the NATO summit in Warsaw in 2016 and culminated in the 2020 agreement signed by then-Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
Poland signed a USD 4.6 billion contract in early 2020 to purchase the 32 F-35 aircraft, making it the country's second-largest arms deal ever, according to the General Staff of the Polish Army.
Although Poland's air force has already formally received eight F-35s, those aircraft have remained in the United States for the training of Polish pilots, instructors and technicians.
Newly produced aircraft are now expected to be delivered directly to Poland.
The Polish military plans to receive 14 F-35s by the end of this year and another 12 by the end of 2027.
The F-35 is regarded as one of NATO’s most advanced combat aircraft and is designed with stealth technology that reduces radar detection.
It is also equipped with advanced sensors capable of sharing battlefield data with other military units, including Patriot air defence systems.
The jets can carry a wide range of weapons, including AGM-158 JASSM long-range cruise missiles, AIM-120 AMRAAM and AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missiles, as well as guided and glide bombs, officials said.
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Source: IAR, PAP