Polish military authorities have put on hold the work on several drone defense projects, citing such problems as the need to revise the requirements and the lack of funding for their implementation.
One is the planned modernization of the SkyCtrl anti-drone systems, now stopped by decision of the Technical Modernization Council (Pol.: Rady Modernizacji Technicznej), an advisory board of the Polish Defense Ministry. According to Rzeczpospolitej, the upgrade plan needs reassessment after considering "comments and reservations raised" after testing the system and checking other solutions on the market.
Read more: Private Shahed Defense: Lithuanian Power Companies Take Up Anti-Drone Weapons to Protect Critical Infrastructure
Then, there is a more interesting case with the KINMA (KInetic and Non-kinetic Module Anti-drone) project, suspended specifically because they couldn't find money to implement it in full. Kinma was supposed to supplement the Pilica+ air defense system and laser weapons expected to arrive in the future.
Explanations based on shortage of funds may sound out of place against Poland's recent large defense materiel procurements worth billions of dollars. Among them are purchases of K2 Panther tanks with localized production, K9 Thunder self-propelled artillery pieces, various missile systems with ammunition, AH-64E Apache attack helicopters, etc.
This inevitably raises questions about the Polish army's priorities, particularly over anti-drone countermeasures. However, the situation here is a bit more nuanced.
First and foremost, the mentioned heavy weapons purchases involved credit funds from South Korea and the USA. This instrument allows the customer to place large orders for expensive equipment. A similar program has been launched this year by the European Union, already works to the benefit of the Polish Armed Forces and, notably, Ukraine.
Secondly, not everyone in Poland seems to fully understand the threat posed by unmanned platforms in modern warfare realities yet. Instead, drones are still viewed more as a niche tool that should not be worried about too much. That is exactly the kind of approach Rzeczpospolitej criticises in its article.
In the end, Poland’s defense spending remains committed but disproportionate, heavily relying on traditional weaponry and paying little attention to the emerging new fields of defense. This could become a serious problem not only in open conflict, but also in peacetime.
Understanding that, for example, Lithuania has adopted an interesting approach: the country's defense department will organize procurements of stationary counter-drone systems, both kinetic and non-kinetic, funded and subsequently managed by private-owned power supply companies. During peacetime, these operators of Lithuania's critical infrastructure would use the anti-drone equipment to ensure their security but relinquish control over to the military if a war were to break out.
Read more: Vector Reconnaissance Drone Got Shot 11 Times in Ukraine, Still Made It Back to Base
