Poland to spend $2.5 billion on US-made air defense command system

Europe, News March 2, 2024 , by IRIA No Comments

Poland’s Ministry of National Defense signed a $2.5 billion agreement with the U.S. government to purchase the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS). This system is intended to coordinate the ongoing development of the nation’s air and missile defense weapons.

The scheduled deliveries for the systems are set to take place between 2024 and 2031. Poland plans to utilize the system to manage its Patriot missile launchers, integral to the Wisla medium-range air defense program, and the Narew short-range counterpart, which relies on the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) from MBDA.

The acquired systems will be used for six Wisla batteries and 23 Narew batteries, the country’s defense ministry said in a statement.

Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and National Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz signed the contract during an official ceremony held on February 29, 2024. “We will be the second country, after the United States, to have this system, an integrated command system,” he said in a statement following the contract signing ceremony.

Mark Brzezinski, the U.S. ambassador, highlighted the importance of the deal on X, formerly Twitter. “We have seen with our own eyes in Ukraine how crucial air and missile defense is, and this order will provide Poland with the best, most modern, and effective tools to defend NATO territory,” he wrote in Polish.

Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS)

IBCS is a next-gen command and control system and a foundational element for the multi-domain, multi-national future. It has an open, modular, scalable, and resilient architecture that is essential to integrating all available U.S. forces assets in the battlespace.

The IBCS architecture allows the effective integration of existing and future systems. Northrop Grumman has conducted numerous successful tests and demonstrations of IBCS and validated the system’s ability to “connect and fuse multi-service sensor data to multi-service weapons” demonstrating Joint All-Domain Command and Control capabilities.

*^{Polish and American servicemembers inspect the WISŁA relay at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama. (Image Credit: U.S. Army/via Northrop Grumman)}*

The revolutionary command and control system is the centerpiece of the U.S. Army’s air and missile defense modernization strategy, which enables forces to maintain an edge over adversaries while reducing mission risk. According to Northrop Grumman, “It has the ability to rapidly network any sensor, including fielded and developmental radars, to any shooter and deliver decision-quality fire control data across joint networks.”

Poland’s increasing defense spending

Poland shares borders not just with Ukraine and Belarus, but also with Russia’s semi-exclave of Kaliningrad. Warsaw has ramped up its military acquisitions while supplying crucial weapons to Ukraine for its defense. Poland has also signed multi-billion dollar deals with the U.S., South Korea, and other countries to acquire new tanks, missiles, and fighter jets.

Warsaw has been one of the most vocal supporters of Ukraine after Moscow’s invasion. Poland has also provided Ukraine with missiles, drones, tanks, ammunition, and humanitarian aid, as well as called for additional international sanctions against Russia.

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Warsaw has exponentially increased its defense spending. Poland is currently spending 4% of its total GDP on defense, the highest among any of the NATO member countries.