Polish arms maker pitches new strike drones amid long-range trend

KIELCE, Poland — Polish defense company WB Group has presented an expanded portfolio of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at this year’s MSPO defense industry show here, responding to the rising interest in long-range strike capabilities by Poland’s military, but also other countries across the region.

“At this edition of the MSPO event, we have a number of premieres,” Remigiusz Wilk, the head of communications at WB Group, told Defense News. “In the field of unmanned systems, this includes the Warmate TL-R reconnaissance system, FT5 mini tactical class UAV in new variants, Warmate 20 loitering munition, and our latest extended-range addition, Warmate 50.”

Asked about the ranges of the systems, Wilk said that Warmate 20 has a range of “several hundred kilometers” and the range of Warmate 50 is “operational,” suggesting that it exceeds that of Warmate 20.

The expansion of the company’s portfolio comes as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is driving Poland’s efforts to modernize its armed forces and acquire enhanced combat capabilities.

The distance between Poland’s capital Warsaw and the Russian capital Moscow is around 1,151 km (715 miles).

The privately-owned manufacturer is one of the few major industry players in Poland that are not run by the state. WB Group supplies various unmanned systems to the Polish military, but also to foreign customers. The producer makes unmanned solutions, as well as communication, command, reconnaissance and weapons control systems, among others.