The Polish military is gearing up to integrate a state-of-the-art defensive system, the “Barbara” aerostats, which include unpowered balloons or powered airships tasked with monitoring the airspace over the eastern frontier.
Equipped with radars, these aerostats will oversee the airspace above Ukraine, Belarus and Kaliningrad, providing precision surveillance of targets at extremely low altitudes to ensure that no missile approaching Poland goes undetected.
General Artur Kuptel, head of the Armament Agency, explained that “this is a unique, highly advanced, and multifunctional system. We will be able to monitor any unauthorized object within our national territory or NATO’s territory, and take early action to neutralize any threat.”
The aerostats will also address the issue of radar shadow, a problem in detecting low-flying missiles. Poland will be the first country in Europe to possess such a system, which eliminates certain blind spots caused by the Earth’s curvature or proximity to ground stations, allowing for effective threat detection and engagement.
On May 26, 2023, Poland submitted a request to the United States through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) procedure for the potential purchase of aerostats from the American defense industry. By Feb. 7, 2024, the U.S. Defense Cooperation Agency announced that the State Department had approved Poland’s request to purchase the aerostat systems for reconnaissance and early warning.
In an interview with Polsat News, General Kuptel also confirmed that the final obstacle to signing the contract for the new “Borsuk” armored infantry fighting vehicle had been overcome. Dubbed the most modern design of its kind in Europe, the “Borsuk” aims to elevate the Polish military from the era of post-Soviet equipment. These fully digital vehicles can share video imagery, request mutual fire support, and are equipped with defense systems and laser detection capabilities.
