Poland is incorporating lessons learned from the war between Ukraine and Russia into its military by strengthening drone capabilities.
Warsaw plans to deploy unmanned aerial vehicles at every level of its armed forces, including at the smallest formations of soldiers.
In a statement to Defense News, a spokesperson for the National Ministry of Defense said the “dronization process” of the Polish military will be intensified for reconnaissance, combat and support.
“Experience with the use of drones across our eastern border indicates the validity of their use at the lowest levels of command, so that, for instance, a platoon commander could have reconnaissance UAVs at their disposal, and be able to hit close targets with UAVs or use so-called kamikaze drones,” the spokesperson added.
Drones have played a major role in Ukraine’s defense against Russia.
According to a NATO official, drones were involved in over two-thirds of the Russian tanks that the Ukrainian military has destroyed.
Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish deputy prime minister and minister of national defense, brought up the idea of a military unit focused on drone operations.
At a session of the National Defense Committee of the Sejm, the lower house of the national legislature in Poland, Kosiniak-Kamysz said the proposed drone forces will be a “separate component at operational level.”