On Monday, October 27, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and the American company Anduril Industries signed a strategic cooperation agreement on the joint development and production of autonomous air systems for the Polish Armed Forces, including the Polonized version of the Barracuda-500M cruise missile. The agreement provides for research and development works, technology transfer and a gradual increase in the share of Polish industry in the production chain and system integration.

The aim of this cooperation is to develop Polish's ability to design and manufacture modern, autonomous long-range strike devices. The program is aimed not only at strengthening the deterrence potential of the Polish Armed Forces, but also at reducing the country's dependence on foreign suppliers. For the Polish defence industry, this also means accelerating the development of technologies in the field of artificial intelligence, drone guidance systems and drone swarm control.

Barracuda-500M

The Barracuda-500M is a new generation subsonic cruise missile, capable of engaging targets at a distance of about 900-1000 kilometers. Equipped with turbine jet propulsion, it combines high operational autonomy with the ability to take off from various platforms - both land, sea and air. Its modular design allows for the transport of various types of cargo and flexible adaptation to the needs of the mission. Another key feature of the system is the integration of artificial intelligence elements, enabling autonomous route planning, threat avoidance and cooperation with other platforms within the swarm.

Photo: Anduril Industries, x.com

Prospects and challenges

Although the agreement opens a new chapter in the development of Polish defence capabilities, details about the schedule, scale of production and scope of technology transfer remain secret for the time being. The President of the Management Board of PGZ S.A. Adam Leszkiewicz stated that the production of drones is not excluded in the future. It will also be crucial to define the rules for the use of autonomous systems in accordance with international legal regulations. In the coming months, PGZ and Anduril are to reveal more information about the planned stages of the project and which plants in Poland will be involved in it.

Photo: Anduril Industries, x.com

This article was prepared as part of the public task commissioned under the Government Programme for the Development of Civic Organizations 2018–2030: “Safe Poland of Tomorrow – strengthening the mission-driven activities of the Alioth Foundation.”