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Poland’s Ministry of National Defense has concluded a contract with a consortium comprising Norway’s Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace and Polish state-run defense group PGZ to procure counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS).

The deal was signed in the presence of Prime Minister Donald Tusk and Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz. It clears the way for the development of the San anti-drone system, with the overall value of the program estimated at $4.2 billion. Deliveries of the first system components are expected to begin in 2026.

The purchase follows repeated violations of Polish airspace by Russian unmanned aerial vehicles during Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. These incidents have raised concerns in Warsaw about the country’s vulnerability to low-cost, hard-to-detect aerial threats.

System Structure and Capabilities

Speaking at the official signing ceremony, Kosiniak-Kamysz outlined the scale of the San program and its intended operational impact.

“We are talking about 18 anti-drone batteries, 52 firing platoons, 18 command platoons, 703 vehicles, of which around 400 are based on the Jelcz [military truck platform], and 300 are based on the Legwan [light reconnaissance vehicle]. All of this means that we will be able to react in an extremely effective way against the threats that originate from the east,” he said.

Minął dzień od podpisania umowy na dostawę systemu #SAN – nasza praca się jeszcze nie kończy. pic.twitter.com/xtVJgAo5AB

— Agencja Uzbrojenia (@AgencjaUzbr) January 31, 2026

According to the Polish defense ministry, the San system is intended to detect, track, and neutralize hostile drones operating at low altitudes, a category of threat that has become increasingly prominent in the war in Ukraine.

Russian forces have relied heavily on reconnaissance and strike drones, including systems used to probe or test air defenses across the region.

Kosiniak-Kamysz also referred to incidents in September in which Russian unmanned aerial vehicles violated Polish airspace. Those events prompted immediate responses by Polish and allied air forces, including the scrambling of F-35 fighter jets to intercept and shoot down the drones.

Regional Security Cooperation

Prime Minister Tusk said Kongsberg’s participation in the consortium reflects Poland’s broader strategic reorientation in response to the war in Ukraine.

He said the involvement of the Norwegian company shows that the Polish government “not only appreciates the competencies of our Norwegian partners, but also considers it an element of the new security architecture that Poland has initiated.”

Tusk added that, since Russia’s full-scale attack on Ukraine, Warsaw has sought to deepen military cooperation with the Baltic States and Scandinavian countries. He pointed to Poland’s selection of the A26 Blekinge submarine, a design offered by Sweden’s Saab, in November 2025 as “a practical expression of this new security architecture.”

Polish officials have increasingly emphasized northern and northeastern defense cooperation as a counterweight to Russia’s growing military presence and activities around the Baltic Sea region.

Domestic Industrial Role

PGZ said that the Polish industry will play a central role in delivering the San system. In a statement, the defense group said around 60% of the system’s components will be supplied by companies within the PGZ group.

“Deliveries of the entire system are expected to be completed 24 months following the signing of the contract,” PGZ said.

The emphasis on domestic production aligns with Warsaw’s broader defense-industrial strategy, which seeks to combine foreign partnerships with a strong local manufacturing base. Officials have repeatedly argued that domestic involvement improves supply security, reduces long-term costs, and supports Poland’s defense industry during a period of unprecedented military spending.

The San program is one element of a much larger effort to build a layered air defense architecture capable of countering threats ranging from drones and cruise missiles to ballistic missiles.

Poland has already ordered Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles, or CAMM, as well as iLaunchers from European consortium MBDA.

These weapons form the core of the Narew short-range air defense system developed by PGZ. In addition, the ministry has procured Pilica+ very-short-range air defense batteries from the domestic defense industry.

The Narew and Pilica+ systems are designed to work alongside Poland’s Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries, which were purchased in 2018 under the Wisla mid-range air defense program. A second phase of the Wisla program was announced in May 2022, under which Poland plans to acquire six additional Patriot batteries manufactured by Raytheon.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said the San system adds another critical layer to this structure. “We are building another layer of the air defense system. We have the Wisła, we have the Narew, we have the Pilica, and we are now adding the San,” he said.

Record Defense Spending

The scale of Poland’s air defense buildup is reflected in the country’s long-term spending plans. Kosiniak-Kamysz said Warsaw intends to spend roughly $70 billion in total on strengthening air defense capabilities, a figure that could make it the largest acquisition program in the history of the Polish armed forces.

For 2026, the government has earmarked a defense budget of approximately $56 billion, up from about $52 billion a year earlier. This level of spending would push Poland’s military expenditure above 4.8% of gross domestic product, placing it among the highest defense spenders in NATO relative to economic size.

A significant portion of the funding for new military acquisitions, including the San program, is expected to come from about $51 billion in low-cost loans awarded to Poland under the European Union’s Security Action for Europe scheme.

Polish officials say the combination of national funds and EU-backed financing gives Warsaw the fiscal space to accelerate procurement at a time when regional security conditions remain volatile.

As drone warfare continues to shape the battlefield in Ukraine, Polish leaders argue that investments such as the San system are no longer optional but essential to ensuring the country’s ability to defend its airspace and deter further provocations.