Poland expands "East Shield" with long-range missile plan

Poland plans to acquire and deploy long-range weapons capable of striking targets more than 1,000 kilometres away as part of a broader effort to strengthen deterrence along its eastern border, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

The missile plans will complement the country’s “East Shield” fortification program, which is aimed at reinforcing Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus.

“As part of the [East Shield] program, we will develop the ‘East Sword’ for deterrence purposes. Because long-range precision strikes [against targets] and strategic strike capabilities are crucial to the security of the Polish state,” Kosiniak-Kamysz was quoted as saying by Wirtualna Polska.

The minister said Poland could use JASSM cruise missiles with a range of up to 370 kilometres and JASSM-ER missiles capable of reaching targets up to 900 kilometres away. He added that the Defence Ministry plans to acquire “weapons capable of striking targets at a distance of more than 1,000 kilometres.”

Kosiniak-Kamysz also said that 150 kilometres of defensive fortifications had already been completed under the East Shield program, with another 50 kilometres expected to be built by the end of the year.

As part of the project, some 300,000 concrete anti-tank obstacles are scheduled to be installed along Poland’s borders with Russia and Belarus by mid-October.

Warsaw announced the "East Shield" initiative in May 2024. The program has an estimated cost of 10 billion zlotys (around $2.5 billion) and is scheduled for completion in 2028.

The project includes trenches, minefields, anti-tank barriers and an integrated surveillance system designed to strengthen Poland’s eastern defences. Construction began along the border with Russia’s Kaliningrad Region in early November 2024.

The planned "East Sword" missile component would add an offensive long-range strike capability to the predominantly defensive infrastructure being developed under East Shield.

By Vafa Guliyeva