Speaking at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said the decision followed talks with Norwegian Defence Minister Tore Sandvik.
Kosiniak-Kamysz told reporters that there had been a growing number of airspace violations across NATO countries, including over the Baltic Sea region.
“This kind of allied support is all the more necessary,” he said.
The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning is a family of advanced American multirole fighter jets designed for both air superiority and ground-attack missions.
The minister welcomed Germany’s recent decision to keep its Patriot air defence batteries stationed at Rzeszów-Jasionka Airport in southeastern Poland until at least the end of 2025.
"This is a NATO mission, and Germany is fulfilling its commitments to the alliance," he said.
Kosiniak-Kamysz added that Poland would also host an Australian early warning aircraft. AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) airplanes are equipped with radar and surveillance systems that provide real-time tracking and intelligence.
“We have already agreed with Australia to station an AWACS plane in Poland. It will provide us with the data we need to protect our security," he said.
The minister held bilateral talks with Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles during the summit.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said NATO members were in agreement about raising defence spending to 5 percent of GDP, calling this the key outcome of the summit.
"After all the discussions, no country is opposing this target," he said. He added that Poland should reach the 5 percent level as early as next year.
The minister also announced large-scale military drills to be held in Poland in September.
"I ordered these division-level exercises earlier this year. For the first time in many years, the 18th Mechanised Division will take part in Operation Iron Defender," he said, adding that the United States, Turkey, Finland, Canada and Slovakia had already confirmed participation.
He acknowledged that Russia would be holding exercises in Belarus at roughly the same time. "It is crucial to show the strength of the alliance, the strength of the Polish Army, and our capabilities," he said.
On the sidelines of the summit, the Polish minister held talks with his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
France’s Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu said in a social media statement that the conversation focused on coordination of support for Ukraine, and developments in the Middle East.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP