Poland to Build the EU's First Anti-Drone System

According to a report by Reference News on March 13, the Financial Times reported on March 10 that after NATO member airspace was violated by drones, Poland is moving forward with the construction of what it claims to be "the most advanced" anti-drone system in Europe.

In September last year, about 20 drones, allegedly from Russia, entered Polish airspace. The Warsaw government decided to deploy this system to address similar situations. With last week's Iranian "Witness" drone hitting a British military base in Cyprus, the development of anti-drone technology in Europe has become increasingly urgent.

It is reported that the anti-drone system, named "Sanghe," is being jointly developed by the Polish Armaments Group, Norway's Kongsberg Group, and the Polish Advanced Protection Systems Company, with an expected cost of about 3.5 billion euros. This funding will come from loans allocated to Poland by the EU under its new "European Security Action" plan, which aims to strengthen Europe's weapon production capabilities in response to the Russian threat.

The "Sanghe" anti-drone system will include 18 mobile anti-drone artillery units, each equipped with sensors and actuators connected to a central command system. Hundreds of vehicles carrying radar components and artillery will patrol near the Polish border and connect with the defense systems of the country and its allies.

Retired Polish General Jarosław Gromadziński stated, "The incident in September was a significant lesson for Poland, as we had to use existing equipment, namely deploying fighter jets to launch missiles (each costing up to $1 million), to shoot down drones that might only cost $1,000."

He added, "This indicates that we need to quickly fill a significant gap in our air defense system."

Polish Prime Minister Tusk has promised that the country will create "the most advanced, intelligent, and integrated anti-drone defense system in Europe."

The system will combine electronic warfare capabilities (including jamming and disrupting navigation) with kinetic defense measures. In addition to deploying interceptors against drones and firing 30mm caliber cannons, the system will also be able to launch guided missiles targeting low-flying helicopters and drones.

The Polish government awarded the contract for developing the "Sanghe" system without a bidding process and has set an ambitious timeline. The first batch of anti-drone artillery units is expected to be delivered to the Polish military by the end of the year, with the entire system anticipated to be operational within 24 months.

Although the Polish Armaments Group and Kongsberg Group have a good production record, and their produced weapons have been tested in real combat on the Ukrainian battlefield, the core technical challenge facing the "Sanghe" anti-drone system is how to integrate various components into the central command architecture developed by the Advanced Protection Systems Company.

The project has also encountered some political resistance, with Poland's right-wing Law and Justice Party opposing the government's use of EU loans, claiming that this would allow Brussels to interfere in Poland's sovereign procurement decisions.

Polish President Karol Nawrocki previously warned that he might veto the proposal to use funding from the "European Security Action" plan. Nawrocki suggested using the reserves of the Polish central bank as a more cost-effective source of funding.

Tusk responded that if the president exercises his veto, the government could seek alternative financing solutions and emphasized that the president's veto is unfounded.

Radosław Piesiewicz, co-founder of the Advanced Protection Systems Company, stated that the "Sanghe" anti-drone system is a completely new concept, but its development is based on experiences from Ukraine. (Translated by Yang Xuelai)