A bilateral meeting between Poland’s deputy prime minister and defense minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the UK’s defense secretary Wes Streeting took place in Warsaw on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at which they signed a three-year defense plan.
The plan was built on the UK- Poland Security and Defense Partnership Treaty – the “ Northolt Treaty ” – which was signed in May by the then-British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
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According to Kosiniak-Kamysz, the main areas of cooperation will include new technologies, artificial intelligence, drones, anti-drone systems, modern deterrence measures, as well as traditional exercises to build capabilities, and cooperation under different scenarios.
This will also include collaboration in development of the generation of air defense missiles which, according to the Polish announcement , will be based on its “Narew,” “Pilica,” and “Pilica+” programs.
It will also address the co-development of drone and counter-drone technologies in the face of increased Russian threats against civilian infrastructure and drone incursions across Europe, according to the UK’s minister.
Streeting said: “We hear very clearly what Poland experiences every day in the form of what some describe as hybrid threats from Russia – I prefer to describe it directly as state- terrorism – the daily mobilization of your forces and air defense in the face of drone intrusions.”
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It also will build on the jont construction of modern warships including the Polish “Miecznik” (Swordfish) and the British Type 31 frigate programs, which are said to be on schedule. This will go hand-in-hand with increased naval activity in the Baltic Sea which, through exercises and regional coordination, will allow the two countries to protect vital lines of communication in the waterway
The agreement also sees cooperation on cyber security and resilience to help both countries protect defense-related and civilian networks from hostile threats.
The two men say there will also be closer links between their defense industries that will include closer defense procurement coordination with companies including MBDA UK, in the area of missiles with BAE Systems,and Poland’s PGZ working together in the production of large-caliber ammunition.
The plan sees continued UK and Polish participation in large-scale exercises such as Steadfast Defender, Polish Dragon, and Joint Warrior, which will ensure their forces retain the capability to fight future conflicts, including the use of counter-drone warfare, electronic warfare, and missile defense.
The ministers said both nations are fully committed to supporting Kyiv in the war against Russia. They will both provide contingents for November’s major “Coalition of the Wiling” exercise in Poland, which will see the deployment thousands of personnel earmarked for the Multinational Force Ukraine, intended to support the military training and post-war rebuilding of the war torn country.
The exercise was announced in August by French President Emmanuel Macron, the UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Euro News reported that the meeting also saw discussions on Europe’s relations with the US, which Kosiniak-Kamysz said reached agreement on the need to strengthen and build up Europe’s defense capabilities without disengaging with Washington.
He said “Poland and the United Kingdom support strengthening this alliance [with the United States - ed.], the transatlantic alliance, because the United Kingdom is the best example – everything connected with the transatlantic alliance grew out of Britain. We are in favor of reinforcing it and building our own capabilities, of greater independence for Europe, but not independence from the United States.”
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