UK Defence Secy Wallace visits Poland, signs agreement to develop new air defence system

The United Kingdom and Poland have agreed to collaborate on the development of a new air defence system, stated the UK defence ministry in a press release on Thursday, November 18. The Statement of Intent between the two countries was signed during UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's visit to Poland, where he met with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak. The Statement of Intent, a first for the UK-Poland alliance, will see the two countries share cutting-edge technology to construct NAREW, Poland's future Ground-Based Air Defence System (GBAD), which is expected to cost billions of pounds, stated the release.

The deal is expected to improve both countries' security and defence growth while also creating and maintaining vital skills across the missile sector in Poland and the United Kingdom. UK Defence Secretary Wallace stated that this agreement marks a significant step forward in the country's defence cooperation with Poland, paving the path for even closer cooperation between the military of both countries. "Minister Bazczak and I are excited to watch the GBAD collaboration grow. Britain and Poland have always stood together against a variety of threats and will continue to do so in the future," Wallace was quoted as saying in the release.

The Common Anti-Air Modular Missile (CAMM) family from MBDA has been confirmed for the NAREW programme in the United Kingdom. CAMM missiles, which travel at supersonic speeds, can destroy modern air threats such as stealth aircraft and high-speed missiles. Each missile in the CAMM family is fitted with an innovative active radar seeker that can detect even the tiniest, quickest, and most stealthy targets even in the worst weather conditions and with the most severe electronic jamming, stated the release. 

UK vows to give practical support to Polish military forces

Meanwhile, minister Blasczazk and Defence Secretary Wallace also discussed the prevailing situation along Poland's border with Belarus. The UK's clear criticism of the Lukashenko regime's attempt to fabricate a migrant crisis to undermine Poland, Latvia, and Lithuania was reaffirmed by the Defence Secretary. He stated that the UK will continue to give practical support to Polish military forces stationed at the border by deploying UK military engineers to provide technical and liaison assistance, as well as wider engineering support.

It is worth mentioning here that the United Kingdom and Poland are both investing in strengthening capabilities and modernising their Armed Forces, exceeding NATO's target of 2 per cent of GDP for defence spending. The two countries also have a close bilateral relationship, with forces operating side by side on land, sea, and in the air. The Defence and Security Cooperation Treaty, signed in 2017, underlines efforts to work together to address common concerns, stated the UK defence ministry release.

(Image: Twitter/@ Mariusz Blaszczak/AP)