Record-breaking UAV deal: WB Group to arm Poland with GLADIUS, FLYEYE and WARMATE

Poland's Armament Agency has signed three contracts with WB Group for reconnaissance-strike unmanned systems – the largest procurement of its kind not only in the history of the Polish Armed Forces, but across Europe. The deals are financed by the European Union under the SAFE mechanism, and part of the proceeds will flow to WB Group's Tri-City facility in Gdynia.

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03 june 2026   |   08:47   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. Maciej Smolarczyk

In the presence of government representatives, on 28 May in Ożarów Mazowiecki, Piotr Wojciechowski, President of WB Group, and Major General Artur Kuptel, head of the Armament Agency of the Ministry of National Defence acting on behalf of the State Treasury, signed three contracts for the delivery of unmanned systems. Together they cover a dozen GLADIUS fire modules, nearly two hundred FLYEYE reconnaissance sets and more than four hundred WARMATE loitering munition sets. It is the most comprehensive reconnaissance-strike package contracted to date anywhere on the continent.

The SAFE mechanism opens a new chapter in European defence

The contracts are financed through the EU's SAFE instrument, which reshapes the logic of European defence procurement: instead of standalone purchases by individual states, it introduces a model of joint, cross-border acquisitions. For Polish industry, it is a turning point.

– The SAFE mechanism is about joint procurement. In May, the standalone contracts under which a single member state, such as Poland, could buy specific products will come to an end. After that deadline we begin a new chapter, namely foreign contracts. We have just returned from Canada, where the Canadian side declared that it would order drones precisely from WB. Today further declarations followed, from other partners in the European Union – said Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, the government's plenipotentiary for the Security Enhancement Instrument.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Defence Paweł Bejda, plenipotentiary Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, representatives of the Armament Agency and employees of WB Group.

– I am proud to be here, in a company that has become a hallmark of the Polish economy – something we see confirmed abroad. We are convinced of it every day, listening to the opinions of Polish Army soldiers. Because there is no better recommendation than that of a Polish soldier. If they speak well of your equipment, the whole world will speak well of it too. And the whole world really does speak well of you – Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed after the signing.

Flagship products with combat heritage

Under the signed agreements, WB Group will deliver its flagship solutions: hundreds of WARMATE loitering munition sets, nearly two hundred FLYEYE reconnaissance UAV sets and a dozen battery fire modules of the GLADIUS search-and-strike system. All have been validated in real combat conditions, and their design reflects the lessons of recent conflicts.

– This event holds special significance for us. It is a distinction for our engineers, specialists and all our employees. The Polish armed forces have chosen to purchase equipment that is modern, combat-proven and highly rated by its users. What is more, we commit to its further development, so that it becomes even more advanced and effective – Piotr Wojciechowski, President of WB Group, said after the ceremony.

According to the manufacturer, contracts of this scale provide greater predictability for investment in research and development and allow the company to expand cooperation with domestic partners forming the supply chain for advanced defence technologies. They are also an impulse to increase production capacity and strengthen the competence of teams that have been designing and developing Polish unmanned systems for years.

GLADIUS: a network-centric system reaching hundreds of kilometres

The first of the signed agreements covered the delivery of 12 battery fire modules of the GLADIUS unmanned search-and-strike system. The Polish Armed Forces are due to take delivery by 2030.

GLADIUS is a system unique in European terms – a highly advanced unmanned solution built, among other things, on conclusions drawn from the war in Ukraine. It integrates reconnaissance, command and precision strike within a single network-centric architecture. Its advantage stems not from the individual unmanned platforms it comprises, but from the full integration of sensors, effectors and command systems, enabling a modern detect-identify-strike chain compliant with NATO and EU standards.

The battery modules are used for precision engagement of targets and for aerial imagery reconnaissance. Imagery, radar and electronic reconnaissance missions will be carried out using, among others, FT-5 reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles. WB Group will supply strike systems already familiar to the Polish Army, as well as new effectors – including those developed from the GLADIUS 2 R&D programme – capable of engaging selected high-value targets located even several hundred kilometres from the launch site.

All unmanned aircraft within the system will be integrated with the TOPAZ battlefield management system in service with the Polish Armed Forces. Each battery module will comprise launchers, command, ammunition and technical support vehicles, and a stock of strike unmanned aerial vehicles.

FLYEYE: two hundred sets of eyes over the battlefield

The second contract covered the delivery of 190 FLYEYE unmanned aerial system sets. Most will go to operational forces and the Territorial Defence Forces, but for the first time the Gliwice-designed UAVs will also equip the reconnaissance platoons of tank battalions.

FLYEYE systems are designed for aerial imagery reconnaissance, using electro-optical payloads that allow observation and image recording by day and by night. The design has proven itself in the Polish Armed Forces and has been used in combat conditions for over a decade, including in Afghanistan and Ukraine.

WARMATE: loitering munitions in four hundred sets

The third contract signed on 28 May was an order for more than 400 WARMATE loitering munition sets. The system is designed to identify and engage – depending on the warhead used – lightly armoured targets or enemy infantry.

In the Polish Armed Forces, WARMATE is operated both as a standalone, soldier-portable solution and in a vehicle-integrated, mobile configuration. The system is equipped with control modules enabling full automation of most flight phases and supporting the operator during target guidance. The munition is operated in real time on the basis of a video feed, with the operator retaining full control over the choice of operating mode – switching between a reusable reconnaissance mode and a single-use combat mode.

Gdynia and NATO's eastern flank: security that works in the regions

Although GLADIUS, FLYEYE and WARMATE are associated primarily with the land-air dimension of the battlefield, their significance extends beyond any single branch of the armed forces. The contracts feed directly into building defence capabilities on the eastern flank of the North Atlantic Alliance – and the Tri-City will feel their impact too. WB Group lists Gdynia among the locations for which the new orders mean real work and growth.

– The security dimension is exceptionally important. By strengthening the state's defence capabilities, we strengthen the security of us all: our families, local communities and the entire country. The contracts for the GLADIUS, FLYEYE and WARMATE systems mean work for our colleagues in Skarżysko-Kamienna, Czechowice-Dziedzice, Gliwice and Gdynia. They are also an opportunity for smaller centres, such as Lipka Krajeńska. These funds will not remain solely within our company – they will work in the regions, creating jobs, supporting local suppliers and entrepreneurs, and driving economic growth – added Piotr Wojciechowski.

The foundations of WB Group's success remain its proprietary solutions, engineering potential and the scaling of manufacturing capability. The combination of these strengths, reinforced by the contracts now signed, is intended to enable the delivery of further programmes for the Polish Armed Forces and broader cooperation with foreign partners, supporting the development of NATO members' defence capabilities and the security of the Alliance's eastern flank.

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Grupa WB systemy bezzałogowe mechanizm SAFE WARMATE FLYEYE GLADIUS Agencja Uzbrojenia

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