Poland faces critical shortage of pilots for its F-16 fleet amid F-35 rollout

Poland’s air force operates 47 F-16 jets but has only about 40 pilots, far below the estimated requirement of roughly 70. The Ministry of National Defence does not release official numbers, but unofficial data highlight the gap. Pilot training, conducted first in Poland and then in the United States, spans two years, making rapid replacement of losses impossible.

High attrition rates and a flawed training system exacerbate the problem, and a portion of qualified pilots have already transitioned to the incoming F-35 aircraft stationed at Łask. Former air-force inspector Ireneusz Nowak, now operational commander of the Polish Armed Forces, has warned about the issue for years. Colonel Krzysztof Duda, commander of the 32nd Tactical Aviation Base, described the F-35 as a generational shift that can counter regional threats, citing examples of its use by other nations.