Poland welcomes US tech firms with defense funding

WARSAW, Poland Poland is intensifying its collaboration with U.S.-based defense technology companies rooted in Silicon Valley, including Palantir and Anduril, with a focus on unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and domestic production of cruise missiles. This initiative complements Warsaw's ongoing partnerships with traditional American defense giants like Lockheed Martin, from which Poland is acquiring fighter jets, tanks, helicopters, and missiles.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has driven Poland to increase defense expenditures and accelerate the acquisition of advanced military equipment. Polands 2025 defense budget is projected to reach a historic 4.7% of GDP, equivalent to PLN 186.6 billion ($51.1 billion), highlighting the growing role of these U.S. tech companies in supplying the Polish military.

Poland is also seeking additional funding for military purchases, with the European Union recently providing 43.7 billion ($50.7 billion) in low-interest loans through the blocs Security Action For Europe (SAFE) initiative. In the coming years, unmanned technologies are expected to be a central focus of the Polish Ministry of National Defence's procurement strategy.

During a Nov. 20 session of the National Defence Committee of the Sejm, Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk stated that the ministry plans to invest at least PLN 15 billion ($3.5 billion) over the next three years in unmanned systems and anti-drone solutions. At the same time, Poland is enhancing its artificial intelligence capabilities, launching the AI Implementation Center for the military this year.

On Oct. 27, the Ministry of Defence and Palantir signed a letter of intent to implement AI, IT, and cybersecurity solutions across Polish military units. Simultaneously, state-run defense group PGZ entered an agreement with Anduril to collaborate on autonomous systems and missile technologies. A ministry spokesperson told Defense News that the Palantir agreement builds on prior workshops and exercises that allowed officials to assess AI-driven automation tools for military operations.

Modern battlefields and advanced combat equipment, combined with sensor data, generate massive amounts of information, the spokesperson explained. Without automation, human analysis alone cannot process this data effectively. Palantirs systems are expected to help commanders interpret these complex datasets. Polish military experts will manage the tools, ensuring complete control over production security and information resources, with no external entities involved in system operations.

At the signing event, Palantir CEO Alex Karp noted the company's interest in investing in Poland, particularly to develop dual-use technologies. Palantir stated that the letter of intent will enable its AI-based defense solutions to quickly support Polish forces as they innovate in response to increasingly complex threats.

Palantirs collaboration with the U.S. Defense Department has expanded significantly since 2019, including a contract to supply a new tactical version of the Distributed Common Ground System-Army (DCGS-A), after a competitive bid against Raytheon.

Alongside Palantir, Poland is positioning PGZ as the local partner for Anduril Industries. PGZs October 2025 memorandum with Anduril follows CEO Brian Schimpfs June visit to Warsaw, where he expressed interest in expanding Andurils presence through partnerships with Polish industry. Under the agreement, PGZ and Anduril will jointly develop and manufacture in Poland a variant of the Barracuda-M medium-range turbojet-powered cruise missile, enhancing the militarys unmanned strike capabilities while advancing local AI expertise.

Anduril describes the Barracuda series as air-breathing autonomous air vehicles designed for scalable production and mass deployment. Brian Moran, Anduril Europes vice president, stated that collaborating with PGZ demonstrates how allied industries and sovereign suppliers can deliver cost-effective, rapidly scalable capabilities to deter aggression.

Author: Sophia Brooks