Poland’s armed forces are testing long range drones that could change the balance of power in the region. Special military trials are also being conducted in Poland to assess long range strike capabilities at distances of around 1,000 km. The trials include systems developed by the Polish defense industry, while the Ministry of National Defence has not disclosed exactly which designs are being evaluated. However, some of the candidates can already be identified.
Poland’s armed forces are testing long range drones that could change the balance of power in the region. Special military trials are also being conducted in Poland to assess long range strike capabilities at distances of around 1,000 km. The trials include systems developed by the Polish defense industry, while the Ministry of National Defence has not disclosed exactly which designs are being evaluated. However, some of the candidates can already be identified.
The tests of long range weapons are an important signal from the military. Weapons with a range of around 1,000 km represent a strategic category of military capability. They can significantly increase the costs and risks for an adversary. For Poland, having such systems in its arsenal would represent a qualitative step toward a deterrence model in which a potential aggressor has to take into account not only the defense of Polish territory, but also the possibility of precision strikes against its rear areas.
The information about the tests was announced by Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk ahead of this year’s International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce. It was an unusual announcement because the Ministry of National Defence had not previously publicly discussed long range strike tests on such a scale. The decision to repeatedly highlight the figure of 1,000 km is also significant because it indicates the distance at which the military wants to assess the practical capabilities of Polish systems.
Why the military is informing the public about the tests?
The immediate reason for the public announcements is the safety of residents living under the planned flight routes. Government Security Center alerts are intended to prevent unnecessary alarm among people who may see military drones flying overhead, particularly after recent incidents involving Russian drones and missiles entering or approaching Polish airspace.
The tests are also political and military signalling. Poland is demonstrating that it is developing long range strike capabilities rather than relying exclusively on systems designed to defend its own territory. A range of around 1,000 km allows a military to reach targets far beyond its borders, forcing an adversary to disperse air defenses, protect logistics and command centers, and devote resources to areas that would otherwise remain relatively safe.
That changes the economics of a potential conflict. An attacker preparing an operation against Poland would have to consider not only the forces deployed close to the Polish border, but also fuel depots, ammunition storage, command facilities, logistics hubs and other infrastructure located much farther away. Long range precision strike therefore works as a deterrent before a conflict even begins.
This does not mean that Poland already possesses large numbers of operational weapons capable of striking targets 1,000 km away. Most of the systems discussed in this context are still being tested, developed or introduced into service. The current trials are therefore important precisely because they are intended to establish which Polish solutions can meet the military’s requirements for long range precision strike.
The military is turning to long range unmanned systems
The first group of systems being considered consists of unmanned aircraft. When the Ministry of National Defence announced a major expansion of Poland’s drone capabilities in 2025, numerous companies entered the market, including firms developing dual use technologies and systems specifically designed for military applications.
Most Polish drones currently in service or development are relatively light reconnaissance platforms or systems designed to counter other drones. Far fewer are capable of flying hundreds of kilometers while carrying a useful payload. The long range category is therefore much more demanding because the aircraft must combine endurance, navigation, communications, propulsion efficiency and payload capacity.
One of the companies developing such a system is FlyFocus. Its Striker loitering munition has been presented as a long range unmanned system capable of operating at distances of up to 1,000 km.
– This is a long range loitering munition system that is already actively being used in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and the Ukrainians rate it very highly. It uses an internal combustion engine that allows it to fly up to 1,000 kilometers and carry a payload weighing up to 40 kg. Its maximum payload capacity is 60 kg. As with all our systems, this one is also built using NATO compliant components, while the company retains full ownership of its software and controls the supply chain – Igor Skawiński, president and co founder of FlyFocus, told WNP.
The Striker is therefore one of the most obvious candidates for long range testing. However, it is not the only Polish project that could eventually provide this type of capability.
In March 2026, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz said that work on a Polish system inspired by the Iranian Shahed concept was nearing completion under the Pelargonia program. The project is being developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology and the Autonomous Systems Center. The minister did not disclose the exact configuration.
The program is understood to involve both a training version and a combat version of the unmanned aircraft. The design is close in size to the Iranian original, measuring around 2.6 meters in length with a wingspan of approximately 2.3 meters. Its takeoff weight is around 85 kg, including a warhead of up to 20 kg, and its speed is expected to reach approximately 185 km/h. Compared with the Iranian design, the Polish system is intended to be lighter and equipped with a more advanced communications architecture and precision guidance capability. Its planned range is around 900 km.
The Szerszeń from Sochaczew could reach 1,200 km
Another Polish candidate is the Szerszeń, developed by Hornet Polskie Drony in cooperation with Boryszew Group and the Air Force Institute of Technology.
On July 9, 2026, the company presented the first production line for the Szerszeń in Sochaczew. The system was designed for strikes over long distances and immediately attracted comparisons with the Iranian Shahed because of its dimensions, airframe configuration and intended role.
The aircraft is around 2.6 meters long, has a wingspan of approximately 2.2 meters and weighs about 85 kg. Its propulsion system allows it to reach speeds exceeding 200 km/h. In its current operational configuration, the range is estimated at around 400 to 900 km, placing it within the parameters associated with the Pelargonia program.
The Szerszeń is being developed in two basic variants. Hornet 1 is intended to serve as an aerial target for training purposes, while Hornet 2 is the strike version.
The presence of Deputy Defence Ministers Cezary Tomczyk and Stanisław Wziątek at the production line presentation, combined with the earlier announcement by the defence minister that work on a Polish Shahed type system was nearing completion, suggests that the Szerszeń could be one of the more interesting candidates for military evaluation.
Its current maximum range is below 1,000 km, but that does not necessarily prevent it from becoming a long range system. The manufacturer is already working on further variants designed to expand its operational capabilities. Depending on the configuration, the range could eventually be extended to as much as 1,200 km.
Poland wants missiles capable of going beyond 1,000 km
The same issue applies to long range missile systems, which the Polish military appears to regard as an even more important capability.
– We already have a number of missile systems with ranges of up to 300 km, as well as systems with a range of 500 km. What we need most are systems with a range of 1,000 km, and especially those exceeding 1,000 km – General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, said while presenting the military’s new development strategy.
He stressed that Poland needs strike systems capable of hitting targets at distances of around 1,000 km and, in the longer term, potentially up to 3,000 km. The objective is to make any potential aggressor aware that an attack on Poland could result in severe losses far beyond the immediate battlefield.
Poland has already purchased ATACMS missiles for its HIMARS systems, with a range of around 300 km. These provide an important long range strike capability, while missiles with ranges of up to 500 km are expected to expand it further. Poland also operates KST A2 missiles with a range of approximately 290 km, sometimes described as the Korean equivalent of ATACMS.
Another important project is the CGR 080 guided missile, which will be produced in Poland by a company belonging to WB Group together with Hanwha. The 239 mm missile is designed for precision strikes against targets at distances of up to 80 km. Poland has ordered 10,000 units, while local production is intended to provide faster replenishment and reduce dependence on foreign supplies.
Barracuda 500M could open a new era for domestic long range missiles
Among the systems associated with the 1,000 km range category are AGM 158 JASSM ER cruise missiles, which Poland is already acquiring for its F 16 fleet. In May 2024, Poland signed an agreement for deliveries of JASSM ER missiles. The weapon is designed to strike high value targets deep inside enemy territory and provides the Polish Air Force with a significantly greater reach than earlier versions of the missile.
The first deliveries are expected this year, which means the military may now be interested in evaluating how the system performs in the broader operational environment. Poland already operates earlier JASSM variants, but their range is approximately 370 km.
Poland’s Naval Missile Unit also operates NSM anti ship cruise missiles developed by Kongsberg, with a range of around 200 km.
Another major development came in July 2026, when Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze 2 signed an agreement with US company Anduril Industries to manufacture Barracuda 500M autonomous missiles in Poland. The system is designed to have a range exceeding 900 km and is intended to complement JASSM ER.
The agreement means that Poland is moving toward domestic production of long range missiles for its armed forces. This is strategically important because the issue is not simply the acquisition of a weapon from abroad. Domestic production gives Poland greater control over supply, maintenance, upgrades and replenishment.
Barracuda is not yet operational. Production in Poland is only beginning, which means it is too early to assume that operational examples are already available for military testing. Nevertheless, the program shows how quickly Poland is trying to build a domestic industrial base for long range precision strike.
Poland is also developing its own rocket technology
The recent test flight of the Polish Perun rocket at the Central Air Force Training Area in Ustka provides another example of the growing technological base.
The Ministry of National Defence reported that the latest test confirmed the correct operation of key systems, including thrust vector control. Modifications introduced after previous flights performed according to expectations, while engineers collected additional data for further analysis and future tests.
– Polish missile capabilities are growing. And, as we can see, the military is paying increasing attention to this direction – Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said.
Perun is a reusable suborbital rocket designed for scientific research, microgravity experiments and spaceflight. Its nominal objective is to carry a payload weighing up to 50 kg to an altitude of approximately 150 km, providing around five minutes of experiments under real space and microgravity conditions.
The rocket is 11.5 meters long and has a diameter of 45 cm. It is powered by the SF 1000 hybrid engine, which uses nitrous oxide as the oxidizer and paraffin as the solid fuel. The Ministry of National Defence has also planned three Perun flights outside Poland, from launch platforms in Portugal and Denmark.
The development of such technology is not equivalent to developing a military missile. The Perun is a space research platform, and its current mission is civilian and scientific. However, the development of propulsion, guidance, flight control and high altitude flight technologies creates industrial expertise that can have broader applications in the future.
Poland is building a deep precision strike layer
The most important point about the current testing program is not that Poland is about to deploy thousands of 1,000 km range weapons. It is that the country is attempting to build an industrial and military capability that can eventually provide deep precision strike at scale.
The announced tests are designed to establish whether Polish unmanned systems can reliably operate over very long distances. The military is evaluating systems in stages. First they are assessed at training grounds, and systems that meet the required criteria can then be tested in specially designated air corridors. The Ministry has also stressed that the drones used in these trials will not carry warheads.
There is also a practical limitation. Poland is not large enough to conduct a conventional 1,000 km strike test entirely between its borders. The country is roughly 650 km from north to south and less than 700 km from west to east. The military therefore has to distinguish between testing a system’s ability to fly a long distance and actually conducting a live strike at that distance.
The significance of the program lies elsewhere. Deep Precision Strike means developing the ability to hit distant targets precisely, using systems that are significantly cheaper than traditional cruise missiles or manned aircraft. A relatively inexpensive unmanned system capable of flying around 1,000 km could force an adversary to spend far more money defending a much larger area.
That changes the calculation for a potential aggressor. It is no longer enough to protect the front line or bases close to the border. Fuel storage facilities, ammunition depots, command centers, logistics hubs and other critical infrastructure much farther away would also have to be protected.
For Poland, this is the direction in which modern deterrence is moving. The objective is not simply to build more weapons, but to create enough long range precision capability to make an attack economically and militarily unattractive before the first shot is fired.
Photo: Anduril
