Mariusz Błaszczak, former Minister of National Defense, presented today during the Army Congress his plan for the development of the Polish Armed Forces. On social media, he posted the strategy points he discussed earlier in Stalowa Wola.
From time to time, new reports surface in the public sphere that, under the current leadership of the Ministry of National Defense, things in the Polish Army are not going well. We hear about accidents (often fatal) during exercises, or about the trimming of arms contracts that had been finalized by the previous government.
Mariusz Błaszczak, the former head of the Defense Ministry, has repeatedly pointed out harmful actions that could weaken the Polish Armed Forces. In addition, he has been carefully laying out a plan to make the military more effective—especially in times when a full-scale war is raging just beyond Poland’s eastern border.
Today as well—during the Army Congress—Błaszczak once again listed what needs to be done to ensure the Polish military is better armed.
Plan for Army Development
First, according to the former defense minister, is to focus on the development of drone forces.
“We must use the SAFE fund to acquire, among other things, unmanned aerial vehicles—Wizjer, Warmate, DragonFly, Orlik—portable anti-aircraft missile systems Piorun, radars for detecting small, low-flying targets, electro-optical stations and acoustic systems, stationary and mobile anti-drone gun systems, 35 mm anti-aircraft artillery with programmable ammunition, and ‘soft-kill’ jamming systems. We must also prioritize building a specialized drone and anti-drone factory under the Polish Armaments Group,” the politician wrote on x.com.
Second, the program “Polish Army, Polish Equipment.”
As the former minister explains, this is about “a set of new regulations that will genuinely favor purchases from the Polish defense industry. Before every purchase—whether of weapons or individual soldier equipment—a detailed analysis must be carried out to see if the item can be sourced from Polish factories. We will establish a new military unit whose main task will be the re-Polonization of the Polish Army’s equipment.”
According to Błaszczak, the army must undergo modernization. What does this mean?
“The AI Implementation Center, based within the Cyber Defense Forces, will no longer be just an analytical body—it will begin introducing artificial intelligence into the Polish military. We will create an Experience Analysis Center, responsible for a comprehensive evaluation of the course of current armed conflicts, in all areas necessary for the professionalization of the armed forces,” reads Błaszczak’s statement.
Another pillar of the development plan is research and development.
“We must thoroughly revise how research and development work is conducted. Considering the defense budget, the potential of Polish experts, and real security challenges, a Polish DARPA is not just a slogan—it is a real developmental need. We will establish a Military Cyber Technology Park, bringing together top universities and institutes as well as innovative companies, including start-ups, to cooperate with the military,” wrote the politician.
Finally, an equally important element, in the view of the former minister, is a “reform of strategic documents.”
“We will create a unified system of documents defining the functioning of the national defense framework, ensuring that the state is ready to respond effectively and flexibly to all threats—including hybrid ones—as well as to maintain the continuity of state operations during crises and wartime,” he explained.