Poland and Britain signed a three-year defence cooperation plan in Warsaw on Tuesday, 27 October, covering joint military exercises and the development of defence capabilities, Reuters reported from a joint press conference by Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting.
Source: Reuters via Devdiscourse
The plan, called the Warsaw Defence Plan in separate reporting, is the first phase of cooperation under the two countries' new Security and Defence Partnership Treaty, Rapporteur reported. It covers cooperation across land, sea, air, cyber and industry, aimed at deterring Russian threats along Europe's eastern flank.
Source: Rapporteur
"We share a similar view of the alliance with the United States. Both Poland and the United Kingdom support strengthening this alliance," Kosiniak-Kamysz said. "There is no alternative to transatlantic cooperation. Any other solution is simply worse, it is bad. But our capabilities, British capabilities, Polish capabilities, and European capabilities must be strengthened for production, for collective defense, for cooperation," he said, according to Reuters.
Joint development and production of next-generation air-defence missiles; co-development of drone and counter-drone technology; stronger cyber cooperation; shared frigate expertise (Britain's Type 31 and Poland's Miecznik share a common design); more Baltic Sea maritime exercises; and expanded large-calibre ammunition production by Britain's BAE Systems and Poland's PGZ, Rapporteur reported.
Both countries also committed to large-scale exercises including Steadfast Defender, Polish Dragoon and Joint Warrior, with a focus on counter-drone warfare, electronic warfare and missile defence, and are preparing a major Coalition of the Willing exercise in Poland this autumn involving thousands of personnel, Rapporteur reported. Poland also expects to build a 2 billion euro anti-drone system within two years, the same reporting said. Yaani: 2 billion euros is 200 crore euros — a very large single defence programme.
"From collaborating on NATO exercises that deter our adversaries to working together to support Ukraine in its fight for freedom, we are committed to standing together for European security whilst boosting our economies with stronger defence industries," Streeting said, according to Rapporteur.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also said Poland would seek to ensure Britain can benefit from the European Union's SAFE defence financing programme, and that Poland will strive to "bring the United Kingdom closer to the European Union", Reuters reported. The signing had been announced in advance by Poland's Ministry of Defense, according to UNITED24 Media.