An Interview with Konrad Gołota, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets.

Poland’s export proposition: Borsuk IFV

In July 2026, Military Aviation Works No. 2 (WZL-2, Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 2 SA) in Bydgoszcz, part of the Polish Defense Group (PGZ, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), signed a contract with the American company Anduril under the SAFE program for the licensed production of Barracuda 500M cruise missiles with a range of over 900 km. Is this a breakthrough for the Polish defense industry?

It is certainly a huge step forward, as we are gaining access to technologies that have been previously unavailable to us. Importantly, we are not only acquiring these technologies and adapting them to Polish standards, but we are also to become an exporter of these technologies to other countries.

Are there already any interested parties?

To illustrate just how dynamic the situation is, suffice it to say that we concluded the agreement with the Americans on July 6, and the very next day, together with Michael Duffey, US Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment, we signed a letter of intent with Estonia and Latvia regarding the purchase of these missiles. Also, during the NATO summit in Ankara, manufacturing Barracuda missiles in Poland was the subject of many discussions with our allies. President Donald Trump, among others, spoke about this, indicating it as an example of a new model of cooperation between the US and Europe.

It’s hard not to notice the shift in the American attitude toward the transfer of military technology to Europe.

During my visit to the United States in December 2025, I met with representatives of all the primes [i.e., the largest defense contractors in the US, such as Lockheed Martin and Boeing] as well as top officials from the Department of War and the Department of State. At the time, they were not yet fully aware of what the SAFE program would mean for the European defense industry or how it would change European defense-related procurement.

How will it change from their perspective?

It has already made us much keener to explore our own capabilities. By developing them, we’re sending a clear signal not only to the US, but to every other country as well: if you want to do business in Europe, you have to become more European – move either part or all of the production of a given solution here, bring your technologies and expertise.

Is the agreement with Anduril an example of this?

Definitely. It’s a very good example of a new model of cooperation, in which the American side is looking for partners in Europe, in Poland, and we’re ready to enter into cooperation. Crucially, this cooperation is intended to cover not only systems and solutions that already exist, but also those that are yet to be developed.

Do you consider yourself the architect of success when it comes to the agreement with Anduril to manufacture cruise missiles in Poland? Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka recently emphasized that you were the one who initiated this process, even though there were doubts about whether it could be brought to completion.

I am immensely pleased that our endeavors have come to a successful conclusion, but this was a team effort, and I would like to highlight the tremendous openness shown in this matter by both the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces and the Ministry of National Defense.

Does every idea that comes from the Ministry of State Assets regarding the domestic defense industry meet with enthusiasm from the Ministry of National Defense?

Not always, which stems from the fact that the Ministry of State Assets must look at the development of the defense industry not only from the perspective of selling its products to the Polish Armed Forces here and now.

What does that mean?

The defense industry cannot develop without entering new markets, so we must create a product portfolio that will appeal to foreign customers, such as the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle with a Slovakian turret. We’re also working on acquiring new technologies to create attractive products, because we have to think about the time five or ten years from now, when programs like SAFE come to an end and current contracts expire.

Experts identify several Polish defense industry products that have a real chance of conquering foreign markets. One of them is our new Borsuk IFV. Who could potentially want to buy it?

There are several countries we want to interest in purchasing Borsuk, but not necessarily in the same configuration as the one supplied to our armed forces, because not everyone needs amphibious capabilities or a turret identical to ours. Borsuk is a truly advanced platform that can be adapted to local conditions in a wide variety of ways. We’re trying to demonstrate our openness and readiness to enter into a genuine partnership and set up a production line in another country.

Can you tell us which countries they are?

I wouldn’t want to reveal too many details, because such talks require discretion and usually last for months, sometimes even longer. I can, however, reveal that one of the countries we are encouraging to choose Borsuk is Australia, but also Canada and the United Kingdom.

The Antipodes? That sounds rather exotic.

From a purely military standpoint, Poland and Australia have more in common than some people might think. Like us, Australians use a wide variety of American and Korean weapons and military equipment. They have a strong defense industry, which is in a similar position to ours today – it has great potential and motivation to grow, but it must find partners in order to develop.

Do they think Poland could play that role?

Definitely. Our delegation will head to Australia soon to discuss specific projects. I’d rather not reveal any details, but we’re looking at niche areas in which we could grow very quickly together. In fact, a very large delegation of Australian companies is participating in this year’s International Defense Industry Exhibition in Kielce.

Are they looking for buyers or partners?

Both. I hope everyone understands now that there is no entry into the Polish market without cooperating with our defense industry.

During the NATO summit in Ankara, there was an opportunity to discuss cooperation between the Polish and Turkish defense industries. Should we learn from the Turks?

In one respect, definitely yes. Turkey is an example of 40 years of consistent government policy aimed at providing significant support and promoting its domestic defense industry. The summit in Ankara demonstrated how the entire state, at all levels, assists its defense industry. That’s the task facing our government today. We want to significantly increase exports from the Polish industry, because without that we cannot grow.

Let’s go back to the products that might find buyers in other armies. What else apart from Borsuk?

There are actually quite a few such solutions. The Piorun air defense systems are an obvious example, but there’s also the Ratownik ship, which has attracted interest from several countries, the Baobab mine-laying system, and the San anti-aircraft and anti-drone system. The Łucznik Arms Factory (Fabryka Broni Łucznik) is conducting talks with many countries regarding the rifles it manufactures, and Minister Sobkowiak-Czarnecka recently visited Bulgaria, which is interested in the Wizjer drones. All we have to do is get the exports rolling, make sure other countries recognize us as an arms manufacturer.

If we want to have things to sell, we need to invest in new products and technologies. How much should we spend on research and development?

Research and development looks different today than it did ten years ago. Today, when everyone is gearing up, we must ask ourselves a fundamental question: do we want to spend a decade or more developing advanced solutions on our own, or instead partner up with another country or countries and share expertise? I believe that this is the way we can create products that will benefit everyone, both financially and in terms of development.

The only question is whether Western companies will be interested in forming such partnerships with Polish entities.

They will and already are. Many of them have been operating this way for a very long time. A good example of such a business model is the French Safran company, which has no problem with selling rights and licenses for its solutions to other entities. We must be realistic and develop our capabilities wisely. We can’t suddenly build a fighter jet or a submarine on our own, but by joining such programs, we will gain knowledge and technology in many other valuable areas.