QUANTICO, Va. -- Days before Poland’s first F-35A aircraft arrived at Łask Air Base, senior Polish military counterintelligence officials were in Texas and Virginia meeting with leaders from the Air Force Office of Special Investigations to discuss technology protection, supply-chain security and information related to the aircraft.
The May 17-21 engagement came as Poland prepared to receive its first three F-35A “Husarz” aircraft from Fort Worth, Texas, marking a major step in the country’s transition to fifth-generation airpower.
Brig. Gen. Jarosław Stróżyk, chief of Poland’s Służba Kontrwywiadu Wojskowego, or SKW, led the delegation during the visit, which included a tour of the F-35 assembly line in Fort Worth, briefings from AFOSI units and a visit to AFOSI headquarters in Quantico, Virginia.
For Special Agent Kevin Alexander, AFOSI’s attaché to the U.S. Embassy in Warsaw, the visit was an example of the trust built between the agencies over years of cooperation.
“This was an important step in a growing partnership,” Alexander said. “It allowed us to focus on the technology-protection mission, while building the trust required to support Poland’s F-35 fielding over the long term.”
During the trip, AFOSI officials first met the SKW delegation in Texas, May 17. The following morning, Polish leaders toured the F-35 assembly line at Lockheed Martin, in Fort Worth, where Alexander said they gained a firsthand look at the production environment supporting the aircraft.
The Texas portion also included cultural engagements in the Fort Worth area, which Alexander said helped strengthen personal connections among allied counterparts.
“This was not just one office supporting one visit,” Alexander said. “Multiple AFOSI offices contributed time and resources, including experts from AFOSI’s Office of Special Projects (PJ) in Texas and headquarters personnel in Virginia.”
According to Alexander, that level of support helped provide Polish counterparts with the right operational context.
"Our long-standing partnership with Poland and the SKW was significantly strengthened this week as we discussed opportunities for continued engagement and robust information sharing," said Special Agent Deryck Parks, Special Agent in Charge AFOSI PJ Det. 8. "By working seamlessly together, we are building a Transatlantic shield that ensures the long-term support and uncompromising protection of the Joint Strike Fighter."
The delegation later traveled to AFOSI’s headquarters in Virginia, where they met with Pearl Mundt, AFOSI’s executive director, Aaron Yardley, AFOSI counterintelligence director, and others.
“We’ve worked with closely and successfully with our partners at SKW on a range of counterintelligence topics over many years, they are a fantastic ally,” Yardley said. “Having the opportunity to engage with them on protecting the F-35, especially on the eve of the first jet arriving in Poland was a special moment for all of us.”
The visit also followed previous AFOSI-SKW engagements, including a California visit last year, where Polish military counterintelligence officials met with AFOSI personnel, defense industry leaders and technology experts to discuss defense innovation, emerging threats and counterintelligence cooperation.
That earlier engagement included mission briefings at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, a visit centered on unmanned aerial systems, discussions with Silicon Valley defense industry partners and a technology-protection roundtable focused on safeguarding innovation.
Alexander said the series of engagements, along with AFOSI leadership visits to Poland, shows how the partnership is maturing around a long-term mission requirement.
“We have seen this partnership grow in the right direction,” Alexander said. “Poland is preparing to operate a major piece of Air Force technology, and we’re working together on the long-term counterintelligence and technology-protection support that mission requires.”
Alexander also credited the AFOSI technology-protection professionals who supported the visit.
“The technology-protection experts who supported the visit were instrumental,” Alexander said. “Having those specialists provide their expertise made a real difference, and the Polish leaders were grateful for the time, resources and knowledge AFOSI brought to the engagement.”
For AFOSI and its allied counterparts, the work behind the scenes is equally important, Mundt said. Those efforts ensure the systems, information and partnerships surrounding those aircraft remain protected.
“Protecting advanced capabilities is a shared responsibility,” Mundt said. “As Poland brings the F-35 into its fleet, our partnership with SKW will better enable technology protection, while bolstering the trust that empowers allied readiness.”
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