Poland to start building its own "drone wall" – country’s Defense Ministry
Drone Industry
Poland plans to begin building a national counter-drone system within months, without waiting for the European Union’s "drone wall" initiative.
Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk said this, Censor.NET reports, citing Bloomberg.
According to him, Poland’s Defense Ministry will announce investments this month in technologies to detect, jam, and neutralize hostile drones as part of the air-defense program.
He did not specify the size of the investment, but the goal is for Polish companies to secure at least half of the contracts.
"We support the idea of strengthening air defense across the entire European Union and are ready to consider external proposals or solutions. But we prioritize national projects," Tomczyk said.
Drone wall would complement Poland’s security system
The deputy minister noted that the EU’s drone wall could "complement" Poland’s system in the future.
"If there are external instruments available, we will use them to the fullest," he added.
Poland’s Defense Ministry plans to use the EU’s new SAFE defense-loan program for funding, Tomczyk said. Given its borders with Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, Poland received the largest SAFE allocation — €43.7 billion.
"Зброя для боротьби з дронами має бути комплексною. Вона повинна складатися з різних датчиків та ефекторів, що працюють одночасно, спочатку виявляючи та ідентифікуючи об’єкти, а потім нейтралізуючи їх", - пояснив він.
"Counter-drone capabilities must be comprehensive. They should combine different sensors and effectors operating simultaneously, first detecting and identifying targets, then neutralizing them," he explained.
Tomczyk said the new counter-drone initiatives will add another "layer" to the country’s air-defense network, alongside already-deployed long- and medium-range systems. All these elements are intended to defend against a wide range of aerial threats, including aircraft, helicopters, drones and cruise missiles.
Drone wall
For reference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte considers the European "drone wall" initiative timely and necessary amid Russian provocations.
Leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Italy are cautious about the EU’s "drone wall" project, while the Baltic states are urging swift implementation to guard against threats from Russia and Belarus.
