Poland hails San system as game-changer for eastern border security

Poland has signed a contract for a new anti-drone air defence system, hailed by Prime Minister Donald Tusk as an “absolute breakthrough” for protecting the eastern flank of NATO and the European Union, TVP World reports.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Tusk said, “We are dealing with an absolute breakthrough when it comes to effective defence of the Polish, European, and NATO eastern border. Especially in the most sensitive area – air defence, and above all defence against modern forms of aggression.” The contract, covering the San anti-drone system, was signed at a state-owned defence facility near Warsaw, in the presence of Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The San system will be developed by a consortium led by Poland’s state defense group PGZ, in partnership with private firm APS and Norway’s Kongsberg. The program is expected to run for two years, with unofficial estimates placing the cost at nearly 15 billion zlotys (€3.4 billion).

Kosiniak-Kamysz detailed the scope of the program, noting it will include 18 anti-drone batteries and over 700 vehicles, as part of Poland’s broader air defence investment of roughly 250 billion zlotys. He described San as “a system of connected vessels – sensors and effectors – designed above all to counter threats coming from the east.”

The system is intended to complement Poland’s existing layered air defence network, which includes US-made Patriot systems under the Wisła program, British short-range missiles under Narew, and very short-range Pilica systems.

Tusk highlighted the strategic significance of the program, saying it would allow Poland to respond to aerial threats “more effectively, more cheaply and more intelligently” than relying solely on fighter jets or missiles. “There is no other example in Europe today of such an integrated, intelligent system focused primarily on countering drones,” he added.

He referenced incidents last autumn when Russian drones violated Polish airspace, arguing these events exposed the limitations of traditional air defence measures. “These first experiences with drone aggression showed how inadequate tools like fighters or missiles are when it comes to shooting down drones,” Tusk said.

The prime minister emphasized the program’s broader regional and European significance, noting cooperation with Norway’s Kongsberg reflects a new security architecture linking Poland with Nordic and Baltic states. “This is also an element of a new security architecture that Poland initiated less than two years ago,” he said.

Tusk indicated he would raise the “European dimension” of the San program, alongside Poland’s Eastern Shield initiative, during talks with European leaders in Zagreb. “I will emphasize again that securing the eastern border is not only Poland’s task, but the responsibility of all of Europe and the whole of NATO,” he stated.

The San system is expected to significantly enhance Poland’s ability to detect, track, and neutralize drone threats along its eastern frontier, while maintaining cost-efficiency and operational effectiveness amid evolving regional security challenges.

By Vafa Guliyeva