Łukasz Zalesiński sits down with Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz – Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense – to talk about the Polish army’s priorities, security matters, and the recently concluded Polish Presidency of the EU Council.

The military is currently the number one subject in Poland. We are procuring new equipment, boosting military spending, and strengthening international alliances. What is the main priority in the Polish Armed Forces for you?

The soldier, without a doubt. The center of every organization is a person. In the army, this person is a soldier, who needs to be provided with conditions of service that enable him or her to feel important and supported by military institutions.

Let’s start with this center then. During the recent Impact’25 conference in Poznań, you mentioned that “there are plenty of people in Poland who want to join the military service.” What opportunities does the army offer to them? What can the young individuals who choose to wear the military uniform expect in return?

Let’s begin with things less obvious than advanced equipment, training or development opportunities. We have just commenced Operation Szpej.

New uniforms.

Not only. Operation Szpej concerns comprehensive equipment of every soldier, including helmets, vests, gear. Every person who wants to dedicate their life to the army has to know they will be supported and taken care of. It’s crucial that the decision on how soldiers are equipped is made by competent people. In order to ensure that the changes go in the best possible direction, I have appointed an extremely important, highly dynamic Soldier Rights Protection Team and a representative for the conditions of military service, Paweł Mateńczuk, a former GROM soldier. He spends hours talking to soldiers, asking about their experiences, consulting his ideas with them. This allows us to make decisions that respond to the real needs of soldiers. We’re also taking care of their financial future. In 2024, we implemented record salary increases, averaging 20%.

You emphasize that people are the most important part of the military, but without modern equipment they are virtually defenseless. Training on an outdated PT-91 tank is not the same as on an Abrams.

Of course not. The modernization is ongoing and covers all branches of the armed forces. Since you’ve mentioned tanks, let’s start with the armored and mechanized forces, where the changes are enormous. Currently, the most important program there concerns the Borsuk IFVs. In March 2025, we signed the first executive agreement to purchase 111 vehicles, which will be delivered to the army over the next four years. We want to conclude further contracts to replace all the worn-out BWP-1s as soon as possible. The delivery schedule will depend on increasing the production capacity of Huta Stalowa Wola, which produces Borsuk.

The armored troops are also receiving new tanks.

That’s true. We already have over 130 Korean K2s deployed in our units. We have signed another executive agreement for additional 180 vehicles. Notably, part of them will be produced in Poland, with the contribution of our defense industry. Abrams tanks purchased in the USA are still being delivered to the Polish army. We already have 116 of them. On top of that, we have signed an agreement for the delivery of 138 Rosomak wheeled armored vehicles. What’s interesting, they will be integrated with the Polish ZSSW-30 remotely-controlled turret, considered one of the most advanced systems of this type in the world. In 2026, soldiers will also receive first Kleszcz light armored reconnaissance transporters.

Are we planning to sign another agreement for HIMARS?

We are currently in the phase of negotiations. We expect that we will also be able to launch the production of GMLRS missiles at the same time. As regards artillery, a lot is going on right now. We already have almost 130 Homar-K launchers, 170 K9 self-propelled howitzers and 20 Homar-A launchers, i.e. the American HIMARS systems. In order for them to work as a whole, we have signed a contract for the delivery of the IBCS air defense command system. This is a landmark achievement, as Poland becomes the only country outside the United States to acquire this cutting-edge technology. However, we are also taking care of other branches of the armed forces. For example, we are noticing a significant reinforcement in the Air Force – the first F-35 fighter jet proudly bearing the national white-and-red checkerboard marking has recently been flown by a Polish pilot.

Apache pilots have also began their training.

Poland’s Army Aviation has a few leased AH-64E Apache helicopters. Our pilots, fantastic aviators who will sit at the controls of our own 96 machines, are currently training on them. These advanced helicopters will become a real game-changer for the entire Polish Armed Forces.

Experts keep saying that if war breaks out in our part of Europe, it will be waged mainly on land and in the air. However, in the recent years, there has been an unprecedented growth in the role of the Baltic Sea. It has become our main route for the supply of resources, and at the same time an area of intensive hybrid activities of the adversary. In order to maintain control, we need a strong Navy. Meanwhile, it has been the most overlooked and neglected branch of the armed forces for decades.

This is currently changing. We are committed to restoring the operational capabilities of the Navy. We are building new multirole frigates, minehunters, and state-of-the-art signals intelligence (SIGINT) spy ships.

It’s still only the beginning of the long way ahead. Is there a chance for a quick execution of the Orka program? Procuring ship-based helicopters or corvettes? What about the modernization of the ORP Ślązak patrol corvette?

Regarding the Orka program, we are currently finalizing intergovernmental negotiations with potential contractors. After finalizing the talks, we are going to move to the next phases of the procedure, which will open the way to acquiring the ships. As for Ślązak, there are currently ongoing analyzes and consultations regarding the modernization of the vessels. Ship-based helicopters are, in my opinion, a natural direction of developing our fleet, as we are committed to achieving synergy of operations conducted at sea and in the air.

We keep talking about traditional branches of the armed forces. Meanwhile, the war in Ukraine has clearly shown that the nature of modern armed conflicts is quickly changing. The role of unmanned vehicles is growing. Poland is trying to react to that by building the drone forces. How far into the process are we?

Only last year we concluded three executive agreements for the delivery of 26 FlyEye systems. In May 2025, we signed a framework agreement to procure 900 Warmate loitering munition sets. On top of that, we are acquiring Gladius UAVs or MQ-9B Sky Guardian drones, which will replace the leased MQ-9A Reaper drones. On January 1, 2025, we launched the Inspectorate for Unmanned Military Armament Systems, built entirely from the ground up, which is responsible for creating organizational structures, training programs and formulating operational needs.

While talking to us, soldiers have also repeatedly raised the subject of microdrones, small systems that can be used for a variety of tasks, even in the smallest subunits. Are we planning such purchases?

Yes, but it’s not just the matter of purchasing them. We must be prepared to produce millions of UAVs. We are actively working towards introducing courses related to the management of various types of drones at all military universities in the near future. And since we are talking about less traditional capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces, we have to mention cyber warfare.

True, there is a lot of talk about the threats posed by hackers. How often do Polish soldiers have to react to such threats?

There were as many as 4,000 interventions last year. Thanks to our soldiers’ skills and capabilities, not a single military network was compromised. We really have fantastic cyber soldiers, who, interestingly enough, are able not only to defend us online, but also to launch offensive attacks when necessary. On top of that, we also support our allies, the Lithuanian and the Moldovan army, in the area of cybersecurity.

Speaking of allies, everyone in NATO is aware of the important role that Poland plays on the eastern flank. Do you think that the EU has a similar attitude?

We have managed to awaken the EU to the urgency of defense. Let’s look at the example of the East Shield project, crucial for the security of Poland and the stability of Europe as a whole. The project has been included in the White Paper for European Defense, and the European Investment Bank has declared one billion euro to support its implementation. We have recently concluded our presidency in the EU, during which we managed to shift the EU policy vector towards defense. It’s crucial now to adopt the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) regulation, which provides for granting low-interest, long-term loans to countries and European defense companies. The budget is 150 billion euro, from which Poland is seeking 120–130 billion zloty.

During a press conference, you mentioned that with these funds we will be able to finance the Borsuk contract.

Not only that. Also at stake are the contracts for Baobab vehicles, Piorun anti-aircraft missile systems, and Krab self-propelled howitzers. The list goes on.

To conclude our conversation, I want to return to those you mentioned at the very beginning – the soldiers. What would you like to wish them on their holiday?

First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude for their service, particularly the service on the Polish-Belarusian border. It is of great importance to all Poles.

I want to wish you perseverance and satisfaction in what you do. Poland is proud of you.