Norwegian defence group Kongsberg will build a plant in Pomerania to manufacture and service counter drone systems. The investment will exceed PLN 200 million, and the factory is expected to begin serial production in the first half of 2028. For Poland’s defence industry, this means new orders and an opportunity to join an international supply chain, but it also strengthens a foreign manufacturer in a market where domestic companies are competing for contracts worth billions of zlotys.
Kongsberg announced the construction of the plant on 13 October. The factory will be located in the Pomeranian Voivodeship, near the Tri City area. Its exact location has not yet been disclosed. The Norwegian company intends to allocate more than PLN 200 million, or approximately EUR 45 million, to the project. Once the plant reaches full production capacity, it is expected to provide more than 100 permanent jobs. Serial production is scheduled to begin in the first half of 2028.
The new investment is connected with Poland’s programme to build the SAN counter drone system. In January 2026, a consortium comprising Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace signed a contract with the Armament Agency to supply 18 system batteries. The value of the contract for the Norwegian partner is approximately NOK 16 billion. Polish company Advanced Protection Systems, based in Gdynia, is also participating in the project. It is responsible for the command and control architecture that integrates sensors and means of engaging targets.
SAN will not be a single type of weapon, but a set of components designed to work together to detect, identify and neutralise airborne threats. The system is expected to use, among other equipment, 35 mm and 30 mm cannons, 12.7 mm weapons, missiles and interceptor drones. These solutions are intended to complement Poland’s air defence capabilities, with particular emphasis on threats posed by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The plant in Pomerania will be responsible for both manufacturing and maintaining Kongsberg’s counter drone systems. It will therefore be more than a service facility supporting the Polish armed forces. The group has announced that the factory will become part of its global production network, also serving future customers in other European countries. This is an important distinction, as the plant’s activities may extend beyond fulfilling a single Polish contract.
A Polish base for European orders
Kongsberg justifies the investment by pointing to growing demand for counter drone systems. The war in Ukraine has shown that drones have become one of the fundamental tools of modern warfare and that countering them requires solutions adapted to different types of threats. Armed forces need both systems for detecting and tracking targets and means of physically destroying or neutralising them.
Manufacturing in Poland is expected to help the Norwegian group increase deliveries. A domestic factory could also shorten the supply chain and create the conditions for serving additional customers across Europe. Kongsberg has also highlighted the potential to expand cooperation with Polish industry. However, opening the plant does not in itself determine the scale of orders placed with domestic subcontractors or the extent of any technology transfer. These issues will be important in assessing how much of the investment’s value remains in the Polish economy.
The Norwegian company has been present in Poland for more than 15 years. It cooperates with domestic businesses and is developing support facilities for Naval Strike Missiles at Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne. The new factory is intended to expand its operations and strengthen the company’s position in the Polish defence market.
A PGZ partner, but also a competitor
Kongsberg’s relationship with Polish industry has two dimensions. Under the SAN programme, the Norwegian group is cooperating with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Advanced Protection Systems. This arrangement makes it possible to combine foreign weapons systems with Polish companies’ expertise in system integration and electronics. The joint project could give domestic businesses an opportunity to gain new experience and participate in manufacturing equipment for additional customers.
At the same time, Kongsberg remains an independent manufacturer that will develop its own capabilities in Poland and seek customers beyond the domestic market. In practice, this means the company could be a partner to Polish plants on one contract while competing against them in other procurement procedures for contracts, funding and positions in European supply chains.
For domestic manufacturers, the key questions will be which components of the systems are produced in Poland, who controls the critical technologies and whether Polish companies will be able to secure export orders. The number of jobs created is an important economic indicator, but it does not by itself show whether the investment will lead to lasting growth in the capabilities of Poland’s defence industry.
The role of Polish companies will be decisive
The development of domestic defence production does not depend solely on whether a factory is owned by a Polish or foreign company. Other important factors include the scope of local manufacturing, the participation of domestic suppliers, access to technical knowledge and the ability to develop and modernise equipment independently. A foreign investment can strengthen domestic capabilities if Polish companies receive substantive manufacturing and technological responsibilities. It can also entrench dependence on a supplier if only part of the work is carried out in Poland while the most important expertise remains abroad.
These issues will be particularly important in Kongsberg’s case because the plant is intended to serve not only the SAN programme but also future European customers. If Polish companies are included in component manufacturing, integration and servicing, the benefits could extend beyond the direct value of the investment. If, on the other hand, the factory relies primarily on the group’s own solutions and a limited circle of suppliers, its impact on the development of domestic technologies could be smaller.
Poland is increasing its defence spending and launching major modernisation programmes, attracting foreign weapons manufacturers. For the country, this creates an opportunity to acquire the equipment it needs more quickly and develop production locally. At the same time, industrial policy is becoming increasingly important in determining how military procurement translates into the development of domestic capabilities.
Kongsberg’s investment reflects this dilemma. The new factory could support deliveries of the SAN system and increase production capacity in Poland. However, it does not automatically guarantee that Polish companies will be the main beneficiaries. The ultimate outcome will depend on how responsibilities are divided, the scale of cooperation with domestic subcontractors and whether manufacturing in Poland opens the door for local companies to secure further contracts in the European market.
