The guest of the Poranny Ring 7:50 program on Super Express was Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jacek Pszczoła, former Inspector of the Polish Air Force and an expert with the Alioth Foundation. The discussion, moderated by journalist Karolina Pajączkowska, focused on changes on the modern battlefield, the growing importance of drones, and the limits of air defense systems.
General Pszczoła openly admitted that Poland – like all other countries – does not currently possess a system capable of fully repelling a massive air attack.
Referring to the well-known Israeli system, he underlined:
“There is no country in the world that has built a 100% effective air and missile defense system. Even Iron Dome – one of the best systems – can be overwhelmed.”
As he explained, every such solution has a limited number of tracking and interception channels. If the adversary launches more missiles or drones than the system can handle at a given moment, some of them will inevitably reach their targets.
“If a system can track a thousand targets, and the enemy launches two thousand, half of them may get through. And that is already a problem.”
The conversation also touched on lessons from the ongoing war in Ukraine. The general emphasized that drones have become the most critical element of the modern battlefield, with Ukraine serving as a testing ground for new technologies:
“What we are seeing in Ukraine is an experimental war. New types of drones are being tested, including fiber-optic controlled drones that cannot be jammed by radio interference.”
In his view, the rapid pace of “dronization” is forcing states to rethink their defense procurement strategies:
“A drone costing a few thousand dollars can destroy a helicopter worth millions. South Korea is already scaling back Apache purchases and investing in drones. Poland should follow the same path.”
Asked about the current state of Poland’s air defense, General Pszczoła admitted that the process is only just beginning. Programs such as Wisła, Narew, and Pilica are being gradually implemented, but Poland is not in a position to build a shield comparable to Israel’s Iron Dome – both due to the size of its territory and the scale of threats.
“We cannot build an airtight dome over the entire country. We must protect what is most critical: state command systems, command centers, and critical infrastructure.”
We encourage you to watch the full interview.
