Poland to Manufacture Components for F-16 Fighter Jets

Poland's PZL Mielec plant has announced its plans to begin manufacturing assembly parts for American F-16 fighter jets. 

Janusz Zakrecki, the director of the Polish aerospace manufacturer, made this statement to the PAP news agency.

The company, Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Mielec, owned by the American defense industry giant Lockheed Martin, recently presented the first construction of an F-16 fighter jet fuselage produced at the plant.

"This is the largest component of the F-16 aircraft fuselage. Today, we celebrate the first construction of this kind. It's a milestone in the production of components for the F-16 fighter jets," said Zakrecki. He emphasized that the presented part is just one of the components manufactured at PZL Mielec.

Zakrecki stated that eventually, PZL Mielec will be producing 70 to 80 percent of the F-16 fuselage structure. He mentioned that the company aims to achieve this goal by the end of next year, and currently, it stands at about 50 percent. The factories have been preparing for the production of fighter jet structures since January 2021.

"The production of F-16 Block 70/72 structures at PZL Mielec is carried out in a comprehensively modernized facility covering an area of 14,000 square meters. Previously, military jet planes were manufactured here," highlighted Zakrecki.

It's worth noting that the multi-role F-16 fighter jet version Block 70/72 was introduced earlier this year, equipped with state-of-the-art long-range radar stations, on-board electronic warfare systems, and targeting pods, among other features.

"It's a complex process. Some of PZL Mielec employees spent six months training at Lockheed Martin's main facility in Greenville, USA. Lockheed Martin is an excellent owner. Our cooperation is very good; we receive full support at every stage of preparation and production. Currently, we have about ten Lockheed Martin engineers working with us in Mielec," emphasized Zakrecki.

Currently, PZL Mielec manufactures components for Black Hawk helicopters and M28 aircraft. According to Zakręcki, the diversification of production has occurred due to the expansion of the range of F-16 fighter jet components.

"We are no longer solely focused on Black Hawk and M28. We are establishing a new production line and introducing new competencies," emphasized the director of PZL Mielec.

The American side is also pleased with PZL Mielec's work. Orlando Sanchez Jr., Vice President of Lockheed Martin, stated that Polish engineers are highly skilled personnel.

"When we took them to Greenville, they demonstrated exceptional professionalism. They worked shoulder to shoulder with our team of designers. If we could have kept them longer, we would have," he said.

Regarding why the corporation decided to entrust the production of the F-16 fuselage to PZL Mielec, he explained that the plant had been supplying components for other aircraft manufactured by Lockheed Martin for many years.

Previously, The Gaze reported that the coalition to train Ukrainian pilots for the use of F-16 fighter jets has been officially formed. Denmark and the Netherlands are leading this coalition. Both countries committed to supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine "after the conditions for such transfer are met," as stated by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Ukrainian leader announced that the parties agreed to transfer 42 F-16 aircraft. On the same day, the Ministry of Defense of Denmark announced its intention to transfer an additional 19 fighter jets to Ukraine. The actual dates of the aircraft's arrival in Ukraine are not yet announced.