AI and robots on the battlefield. The Ministry of National Defense is waiting for offers from companies

The military announced Friday that it has started accepting applications from manufacturers of unmanned land weapons systems. This equipment will be tested in order for the army to acquire new capabilities. Producers can submit proposals until February 27.

The head of the Ministry of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, in September last year announced the decision on the organization and modes of testing unmanned systems in the Polish Armed Forces.

On Friday, the website of the Ministry of National Defense announced that the Inspectorate of Unmanned Armament Systems (IWBSU) of the General Command of the Armed Forces had initiated a procedure to accept applications from producers of land-based unmanned aerial vehicles.

The military requires manufacturers to provide specific capabilities of the equipment they propose. Unmanned Land Weapon Systems (BLSU) should be able to, for example, achieve a speed of no less than 10 km/h, operate for no less than 3 hours and carry a load of at least 150 kg. The command and control stations should be able to receive video transmissions and control the platform via the radio system and Starlink satellite communication.

The tests, the army declares, will be dispersed and can be carried out simultaneously in many places throughout the country, in a fair, transparent and competitive manner. In addition, entities providing technical test solutions are subject to simplified verification by the relevant services, ensuring counterintelligence protection.

The Polish Army is currently implementing a new Armed Forces Development Program, signed at the end of the year by the Minister of Defense. This document is prepared by the General Staff of the Polish Army and the Ministry of National Defense every few years and sets out the most important directions of development of the Polish Army in a given time perspective.

The new program includes, among others: widespread implementation of unmanned aerial vehicles. The staff declares that droneization and robotization will cover all types of troops, domains and combat functions: reconnaissance, decision support, destruction and logistic support at all levels – strategic, operational and tactical. There are also plans to use artificial intelligence more and more widely, primarily in analytical and command processes, including targeting processes.

Applications must be submitted by February 27. (PAP)

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