The first anti-drone system in Europe will be built in Poland

Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, emphasized that the San anti-drone system, for the delivery of which the contract is to be signed on Friday, is the first multi-purpose system of this type in Europe. He added that Polish companies will have a dominant share in its construction.

On Friday in Kobyłka, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz and Deputy Minister of National Defense Paweł Bejda will take part in signing an agreement with a consortium of companies consisting of: Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace for the supply of anti-aircraft systems with the ability to combat unmanned aerial vehicles (SAN).

When asked about the San system during Thursday's press conference in Warsaw, the head of the Ministry of National Defense said that it is “the first innovative multi-task system of this type in Europe.” He informed that funds from the EU SAFE instrument would be used for it. – We want (the PAP system) to be co-financed from European funds, of course when we receive these funds from Brussels – he added.

When asked what troops would use San, Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that it is a system for all types of armed forces. He added that soldiers serving in the land forces, air force and navy are being trained in drone techniques. – The San River will be used in accordance with the decisions of the Chief of the General Staff and the General Commander, Kosiniak-Kamysz said. He added that the system will be used, for example, in activities related to “Safe Podlasie”.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense was also asked about the participation of Polish companies in the construction of the anti-drone shield. – Their share will be dominant and the most important, both of state-owned companies, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and its associated companies, I will mention two: PIT Radwar and Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów. Other companies of the PGZ group will also participate, including the private company APS and our partners from Norway, he said. As noted by PGZ, APS and Kronsberg are the companies involved in finalizing the documents prepared for the contract.

The quick implementation of the San program was announced by the government after on the night of September 9-10 last year. Russian combat drones entered Polish airspace. As part of it, the army is to receive a set of tools that will allow it to effectively detect and combat this type of threats; this system is also to be characterized by relatively low costs of use in order to effectively protect against possible attacks with a large number of cheap and mass-produced drones.

Currently, many countries and defense companies are developing their various types of anti-drone systems, both at home and abroad. In Poland, for example, Hertz and APS are developing their systems, whose equipment is used in Ukraine, and which also cooperate with, among others, with the Norwegian concern Kongsberg.

As experts point out, the challenge in creating drone systems is the rapid evolution of drones used on the battlefield and the need to quickly respond to new challenges. It is also crucial to provide an appropriate range of sensors – including radars, cameras, but also, for example, sensors listening for the loud sound of the engine of an approaching drone.

The developed drone systems also use various solutions when it comes to combating drones – in addition to “hard measures”, such as shooting down the drone with a rocket or anti-aircraft gun bullet, methods are also used such as disrupting the drone's communications, fighting them with a laser or even – in the case of smaller drones – catching them in a launched net.

During the incursion of Russian drones over Poland, Polish and allied combat aviation was engaged to combat them; However, the military and representatives of the Ministry of National Defense later pointed out that shooting down cheap drones with missiles costing millions of dollars designed to combat, for example, enemy aircraft is uneconomic and ineffective, and cheaper means are necessary to potentially fight dozens or hundreds of drones. (PAP)

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