The state and prospects of Polish air defense
SAM "Kub" of the Polish army. Photo Wikimedia Commons
One of the tasks of the Polish Armed Forces is to protect the country from air attacks. For this purpose, numerous units and subdivisions of troop and object air defense have been created within their structure. The bulk of their weapons are obsolete models from the Soviet era. They impose certain limitations on combat capability Defense, and therefore measures are being taken to modernize this branch of the military.
Defense organization
In the Polish Armed Forces, as in other modern armies, air defense is divided into two main areas: troop and facility. Units of the two branches of the armed forces must solve different tasks, which determine their structure, equipment and tactics.
The air defense facility is equipped with stationary and mobile anti-aircraft missile complexes designed for long-term protection of specific areas and objects. Air defense units, in turn, have self-propelled or portable weapons, with the help of which they must cover army units and formations.
The air defense of the regions is organizationally related to the air force and is represented by one anti-aircraft missile brigade. The 3rd brigade currently includes seven "squadrons" (divisions) with numbers from 32 to 38. They are deployed throughout Poland and must cover almost all strategic directions.
Polish Osa systems on parade. Photo Wikimedia Commons
The Air Defense Forces are represented by three anti-aircraft regiments, which include divisions on different equipment. These regiments are part of the main divisions of the ground forces, and their batteries and divisions are intended to accompany combined arms units. In addition, the tasks of the Air Defense Forces are assigned to the troops themselves. The infantry is armed with portable anti-aircraft missile systems of several models.
Soviet heritage
The Polish air defense developed most actively during the Cold War. Poland received various Soviet-made equipment and weapons en masse. No attempts were made to independently manufacture the necessary products or to search for alternative suppliers.
At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the supply of SAM systems from the USSR ceased. As a result, Poland was forced to abandon its plans to modernize its air defense. The existing models, often not the newest, remained in service. A significant part of them still have to be used, despite all the difficulties and limited potential.
The most widespread system in Poland's air defense system is still the Soviet product S-125. This equipment was acquired during the seventies, and has since become hopelessly outdated. In the late nineties, such an air defense system was independently modernized as part of the Newa-CS project. Then, part of the electronics were replaced, other solutions were implemented, and the system was made self-propelled. At present, the troops have up to 12 S-125 divisions.
The military air defense also continues to use Soviet products. At the beginning of 2024, it had about 20 short-range SAM systems "Kub" and at least 60 "Osa-AK" products. In addition, the troops have a large number of various MANPADS at their disposal, some of which were also supplied from the USSR.
Modern Piorun MANPADS. Photo by Defence24.com
Small-caliber missiles occupy a significant place in Poland's air defense forces. artillery systems. Since the times of the USSR and the Warsaw Pact, 23-mm ZU-23 guns have been in service in self-propelled and towed versions. In the recent past, some of these weapons have been modernized with the installation of new detection and control systems.
Update program
According to known data, the next stage of updating the military and object air defense was planned to be carried out at the turn of the eighties and nineties. At that time, they wanted to buy new types of equipment from the USSR and use it to replace the outdated S-125 or S-200 systems. However, during this period, the Warsaw Pact collapsed, the leadership in Poland changed, and a decision was made to reduce military cooperation with the USSR / Russia.
As a result, ordering new systems and complexes became impossible. At first, they tried to solve this problem by independently upgrading existing products, and during the nineties, acceptable results were obtained. However, in the long term, it was necessary to acquire completely new SAMs and SAMs.
In 2012, after several years of development, the Polish Ministry of Defence presented an air defence development plan for the period from 2013 to 2022. According to this document, it was proposed to develop and bring into service three promising anti-aircraft systems.
The army air defense was planned to be reinforced with a new Piorun MANPADS, which was to be used both independently and as part of the Poprad complex. The Pilica missile and artillery complex was also developed for the close echelon. The short- and medium-range air defense was to be supplemented with the Narew and Wisła complexes, respectively.
Poprad complexes with Piorun missiles. Photo PGZ
The Pilica, Poprad and Narew projects have successfully completed the development stage and have been brought to serial production. By now, the Polish industry has managed to supply the army with a certain number of such products and continues to manufacture them. It is expected that in the coming years these products will cover all the needs of the army air defense and will make it possible to abandon Soviet-made equipment.
Foreign assistance
Due to the limited capabilities of its industry, the Polish Ministry of Defence turned to its leading foreign partner, the United States, for help. In 2017-2018, after conducting the necessary studies and completing other procedures, a decision was made to purchase the American Patriot air defense system in the PAC3+ version.
The first contract for the delivery of these systems was signed in March 2018. According to this document, two complete battery sets of the SAM system were to be delivered to Poland for a total of $4,75 billion. The first battery arrived in Poland only a few years later, at the end of 2022.
In September 2023, a second agreement on Patriots was signed. Now Poland was to receive a total of six SAM batteries. The contracts provide for the delivery of 12 radars, 48 launchers, 644 guided missiles, as well as the organization of training, maintenance, etc. The deliveries of equipment will begin only in the second half of the current decade.
Mixed composition
Thus, at present both types of air defense of the Polish army have a specific appearance, which directly affects their potential and capabilities. In combat units, systems and complexes of the Soviet and NATO models, manufactured at different times, are simultaneously present and operated.
ZRAK Pilica on the training ground. Photo PGZ
The military and political leadership of Poland is aware of the complexity of the current situation and is trying to improve it. Plans are being developed to develop the air defense of troops and facilities, and specific measures are being taken. Some of them have already led to the desired results, and new achievements are expected in the future.
According to the current plans of the Polish Ministry of Defence, the local industry will continue to produce modern anti-aircraft systems of its own design. These systems will gradually be supplied to combat units, replacing outdated Soviet-made systems.
It should be taken into account that at the moment the Polish industry can only produce relatively simple SAM systems with a limited level of characteristics. More complex equipment is supposed to be purchased abroad. For this purpose, contracts for the supply of Patriot SAM systems have been placed in recent years.
The fate of older systems such as the S-125 or the Kub has already been determined. They will remain in service for the coming years and undergo repairs if necessary. However, new upgrades to improve performance and extend service life are no longer planned due to their inexpediency.
As new equipment arrives, the old "Cubes" and "Osas" will be decommissioned. What will be done with them in the future remains unclear. In the past, decommissioned equipment was sent to storage or disposal. However, in the current military-political situation, the possibility of transferring unnecessary systems to Ukraine cannot be ruled out.
Patriot PAC 3+ SAM launcher/ Photo by US Department of Defense
Plans and reality
The current air defense modernization program is of great importance for the Polish Armed Forces. If the approved plans are implemented within the established deadlines, the combat capability of anti-aircraft units will increase significantly, and at the same time the safety of other units and facilities will increase. In addition, due to the general novelty, it will be possible to optimize the operation of the SAM / SAM systems and reduce their costs.
However, the air defense rearmament program may encounter various difficulties and problems. Depending on their nature and scale, they may lead to minor adjustments to the schedule or even to the cancellation of entire projects.
One of the main threats to new projects is their high cost. The needs of the Polish air defense require a large amount of equipment, which is not distinguished by its low price. At the same time, the Ministry of Defense is planning large purchases of other equipment for the army, such as Tanks and MLRS. All these contracts will cost tens of billions of dollars. Whether the country's economy will allow it to fulfill all these plans is a big question.
The new deliveries are based on samples of our own Polish design. However, it is unknown whether they meet all modern requirements for air defense missile systems and air defense missile systems. In addition, it should be taken into account that the nature of the air threat over the battlefield has changed recently. As a result, Poprad or Pilica products may not meet all the requirements of the time.
Thus, an interesting situation is observed. Poland sees and understands its problems in the field of air defense and even tries to take measures. However, the situation of this branch of the armed forces has long left much to be desired, and every year it requires more and more attention. Time will tell whether it will be possible to reverse the negative trends and fulfill all plans.
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