Poland has just made one of the most consequential defence moves in Europe’s modern security landscape.

The Polish Ministry of Defence has signed a PLN 15 billion (approximately US$4.2 billion) contract with a consortium led by Norway’s Kongsberg and Poland’s state defence group PGZ for 18 “San” counter-UAS batteries. It is not just a procurement decision. It is a strategic statement.

At a time when drones dominate the battlefield in Ukraine and Russian reconnaissance UAVs routinely probe NATO airspace, Poland is not waiting for doctrine to catch up. It is building a layered anti-drone shield at scale.

Each of the 18 batteries includes command-and-firing platoons—52 firing platoons and 18 command elements in total—supported by 703 vehicles. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2026. The scale alone makes this Europe’s most comprehensive counter-UAS programme to date.

But what makes “San” significant is not just volume—it is architecture.

The system is designed as a layered defensive network integrating multiple effectors: guns, missiles, and interceptor drones. This reflects a hard-earned lesson from Ukraine: no single solution defeats the drone threat. Low-cost loitering munitions, ISR platforms, and swarming UAVs require flexible, tiered responses that match threat cost and trajectory.

Poland’s move signals recognition that the drone war is no longer theoretical. Russian UAV incursions near Polish territory have increased. Reconnaissance, electronic probing, and cross-border activity have blurred the line between peacetime deterrence and grey-zone confrontation.

The San system forms a key pillar of Poland’s “East Shield” defence plan—Warsaw’s broader strategy to fortify NATO’s eastern flank. In practical terms, this means protecting critical infrastructure, military bases, logistics hubs, and urban centres from airborne threats that operate below traditional radar coverage and below political escalation thresholds.

The funding structure also matters. Part of the contract is supported through the EU SAFE programme, underscoring that counter-UAS is no longer just a national concern but a European industrial and strategic priority. Brussels has been pushing for greater defence industrial integration, and this contract provides exactly that: a large-scale, NATO-relevant reference programme for European industry.

For Kongsberg and PGZ, the project strengthens transnational industrial cooperation while embedding advanced counter-drone capability directly into Europe’s defence supply chain. For NATO, it reinforces the eastern flank with a credible, scalable air defence layer against one of the most disruptive technologies of modern warfare.

The strategic subtext is clear: Europe is entering a new air defence era.

Traditional air defence systems were designed to intercept aircraft and ballistic missiles. Today’s threat is different—cheaper, smaller, harder to detect, and often politically ambiguous. Drones can gather intelligence, test response times, disrupt logistics, or deliver precision strikes at a fraction of the cost of conventional platforms.

Poland’s $4.2 billion commitment suggests that counter-UAS is no longer a tactical add-on. It is becoming a structural element of national air defence.

This matters beyond Poland. Other NATO states are watching closely. The San programme could become a template for future layered counter-drone architectures across Europe. If successful, it may define the standard for how European militaries integrate guns, missiles, and kinetic drone interceptors into a cohesive network.

The message is unmistakable: the drone threat is persistent, evolving, and politically charged.

And Poland has chosen not to react—but to build.

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