Poland has moved from being a passive observer to a frontrunner in European defense, developing combat capabilities faster and cheaper than many multinational programs. However, to fill specific gaps – especially in next-generation fighter technology and drone-missile systems – Warsaw must now look beyond its own successes and toward cooperation with Ukraine.
For years, Poland stayed on the sidelines of major European and NATO projects. The decision not to join the Joint Strike Fighter program in 2001, for example, meant that Warsaw buys F-35s as an export client – paying full price without industrial participation or technology transfer. Similarly, the European Sky Shield Initiative (ESSI), launched by Germany in 2022, was initially met with skepticism; Poland only joined in 2024, and on its own terms, with its own air defense systems already in place.
Poland’s own path in armored and air defense
While European consortiums struggle with internal disputes and delays, Poland has pushed ahead. The Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle is now in production after successful tests, integrating Polish command systems like Topaz and the unmanned ZSSW-30 turret. The K2PL tank program will see local production within two years, giving Poland the largest tank fleet in the NATO eastern flank. Air defense is equally impressive: contracts for Patriot PAC-3 MSE (Wisła), CAMM/CAMM-ER (Narew), and Pilica+ systems, along with Polish radars, have created the most ambitious air defense program in Europe.
The European paper tiger problem
Meanwhile, flagship European projects remain stuck. The MGCS main battle tank has not moved beyond conceptual phase since 2017, with France and Germany unable to agree on work shares. The EuroBWP infantry vehicle program is similarly paralyzed, while Poland builds and fields Borsuk. The Eurodrone MALE system is six years late and 40 percent over budget. The FCAS sixth-generation fighter, meant to rival the F-35, faces at least a decade of delays. As former Air Force Inspector General Tomasz Drewniak noted: “Poland should participate in the European next-generation fighter program, because only participation gives access to technologies that cannot be bought off the shelf – AI, sensors, software integration – and ensures industrial benefits.”
The Ukrainian opportunity and the missing coalition
In July 2026, a Western coalition including Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the UK announced plans to develop anti-ballistic capabilities together. Poland was notably absent. Prime Minister Donald Tusk explained: “The coalition is industrial in nature. Polish companies are analyzing their possibilities. The coalition remains open.” Yet Ukraine, with battle-tested drone and missile industries far more advanced than any European paper project, sits just across the border. Cooperation in air defense and unmanned systems could give Poland access to real combat experience and technologies that no NATO army except the US currently possesses.
Poland does not need to join every European program, especially those that exist only on paper. But the chance to partner with Ukraine on drone-missile technology – to quickly fill specific gaps – is too valuable to ignore. Better alternatives may not appear.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. WNP.PL
