Poland and the United Kingdom have signed a three-year defence cooperation plan aimed at strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and developing joint military capabilities. The agreement, signed in Warsaw on Tuesday, 27 October, covers military exercises, advanced missiles, drones, cybersecurity and cooperation between the two countries’ defence industries. Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz also pledged to support closer British involvement in European Union defence investment, while emphasising that stronger European military capabilities must complement the transatlantic alliance rather than replace it.
The agreement was signed by Kosiniak-Kamysz, who also serves as Poland’s deputy prime minister, and British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting following bilateral talks at Poland’s Ministry of National Defence.
The British Ministry of Defence described the agreement as the Warsaw Defence Plan, intended to strengthen cooperation across land, sea, air, cyber operations and the defence industry.
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It follows the broader Security and Defence Partnership Treaty signed by the two countries’ prime ministers on 27 May 2026.
The British government described Tuesday’s document as the first phase of practical defence cooperation under that partnership.
The signing comes amid continuing European concerns about Russia’s war against Ukraine, threats to NATO’s eastern members and the need to increase military production.
Joint exercises, missiles and new military technology
The Polish Defence Ministry confirmed that the three-year plan establishes priorities for cooperation between the two armed forces.
Kosiniak-Kamysz identified several areas where Poland and Britain intend to strengthen their capabilities.
These include long-range precision weapons, artificial intelligence, drones, counter-drone systems and conventional military exercises.
The ministers also highlighted the need for closer coordination when responding to emerging military threats.
According to the British government, the agreement covers the development and manufacture of next-generation air-defence missiles.
It also provides for closer work on counter-drone technologies intended to protect civilian populations and critical infrastructure.
Cybersecurity forms another significant component.
The two countries plan to improve their ability to protect military installations, civilian infrastructure and sensitive systems against hostile cyber activity.
These commitments build on existing cooperation but do not mean that all the planned technologies have already been developed or that new procurement contracts were signed in Warsaw.
Britain and Poland to strengthen Baltic Sea security
Maritime security is another important element of the new agreement.
The British Ministry of Defence said the two countries would increase defensive activity in the Baltic Sea through joint exercises and regional coordination.
The objective is to improve their ability to protect important sea routes and other infrastructure.
Poland’s position on the Baltic makes it a significant partner for Britain, whose naval forces also operate in northern European waters.
The two countries are already cooperating on future naval capabilities.
Britain’s Type 31 frigate programme and Poland’s Miecznik frigate programme share a common underlying ship design, creating opportunities to exchange technical and operational experience.
The new plan calls for continued cooperation between the programmes.
It also highlights participation in major exercises, including NATO’s Steadfast Defender, Poland’s Dragon exercises and Britain’s Joint Warrior.
Such training is intended to improve interoperability — the ability of allied armed forces to operate effectively together.
That includes coordinating communications, tactics, equipment and command structures during multinational operations.
Defence industry cooperation and ammunition production
Industrial cooperation was a major subject of the Warsaw talks.
Kosiniak-Kamysz pointed to several existing programmes involving Polish and British companies, including the Narew air-defence system and the Miecznik frigates.
Narew is Poland’s programme to develop a modern short-range air-defence network, involving substantial cooperation with the British missile manufacturer MBDA UK.
The Polish minister also identified ammunition production and the wider Pilica air-defence programme as areas of cooperation.
The British government’s 27 October announcement said BAE Systems and Poland’s state-controlled Polish Armaments Group, known as PGZ, would expand cooperation on large-calibre ammunition production.
Closer procurement coordination and the exchange of industrial expertise are also planned.
The governments say these measures should strengthen European defence supply chains and improve their ability to meet growing military demand.
However, the announcement did not disclose a new overall contract value, additional guaranteed production volumes or a completed industrial investment arising specifically from Tuesday’s signing.
Those details would require separate confirmation.
Poland pledges support for Britain’s access to EU defence investment
The Warsaw talks also addressed Britain’s relationship with the European Union.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland would seek to help the UK benefit more fully from the EU’s Security Action for Europe programme, known as SAFE.
The programme provides up to €150 billion in EU-backed loans to member states for defence investment, particularly joint procurement.
It is designed to help European countries increase their military capabilities while strengthening the continent’s defence industry.
The Council of the European Union explains that SAFE finances investment in areas including ammunition, missiles, air defence, drones and military mobility.
Britain is not an EU member and does not qualify for those loans on the same basis as member states.
Negotiations between London and Brussels on preferential British participation ended without agreement in 2025.
Nevertheless, UK defence companies retain limited access under the programme’s standard third-country rules.
In a written parliamentary answer on 12 October, the British Defence Ministry confirmed that UK industry could potentially provide up to 35% of the content of eligible SAFE contracts.
Kosiniak-Kamysz’s comments therefore represent political support for improving Britain’s involvement, rather than the announcement of a new EU agreement.
Any change to Britain’s formal access would require decisions involving the relevant EU institutions and the British government.
The Polish minister also expressed support for bringing the UK closer to the European Union more broadly.
Stronger European defence, but not apart from America
The ministers also sought to underline their shared approach to NATO and the United States.
Kosiniak-Kamysz said Poland and Britain wanted Europe to strengthen its own military capabilities without weakening its relationship with Washington.
Speaking at the joint press conference, he argued that there was no viable alternative to transatlantic cooperation.
His remarks came as European governments continue debating how much responsibility they should assume for their own security.
Poland has consistently argued for greater defence spending, stronger military production and closer NATO cooperation.
Britain, although outside the European Union, remains one of Europe’s major military powers and an important NATO member.
According to Reuters’ account of the ministers’ statements, Kosiniak-Kamysz said both countries supported greater European independence from potential threats, rather than independence from the United States.
That distinction was central to the Warsaw meeting.
The ministers presented increased European defence investment as a contribution to NATO’s overall strength, not an alternative to the alliance.
Russia and Ukraine central to Warsaw talks
Russia’s war against Ukraine was among the first subjects discussed by the two ministers.
Both governments reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Ukraine and improving European deterrence.
Streeting praised Poland’s experience of responding to threats along NATO’s eastern flank.
According to the Polish Defence Ministry’s account, the British minister characterised Russia’s hostile hybrid activities as state-sponsored terrorism.
That description was Streeting’s political assessment, rather than a separate legal determination announced at the meeting.
He also pointed to the challenges posed by drone incursions and other forms of pressure affecting Poland.
The British government said it was preparing with Poland for a major exercise planned for November involving the Coalition of the Willing, the group of countries working on possible arrangements to support Ukraine’s future security.
According to the British announcement, the exercise is expected to involve thousands of personnel and focus on preparations for a potential multinational force to support Ukraine’s military training and post-war reconstruction.
The exercise was described as a future activity. It does not establish that such a multinational force has already been deployed to Ukraine.
The new bilateral defence plan should also not be interpreted as a commitment to send additional British combat troops to Poland beyond deployments or exercises separately confirmed by the two governments.
How the agreement builds on the May security treaty
The three-year defence plan follows a broader British-Polish treaty signed on 27 May 2026.
That document established an extensive framework for security and defence cooperation.
Its provisions address military collaboration, defence-industrial development, hybrid threats, cybersecurity and wider national security.
The full treaty published by the British government is distinct from Tuesday’s operational cooperation plan.
The treaty also includes formal provisions governing its entry into force.
Under Article 12, it enters into force 30 days after the final notification that both countries have completed their respective domestic procedures.
As of 27 October, Polish Radio reported that presidential consent for ratification in Poland was still pending.
The signing of the three-year plan should therefore not be presented as confirmation that all ratification procedures for the May treaty have been completed.
Nor does Tuesday’s agreement create a new mutual-defence guarantee separate from the countries’ existing NATO obligations.
Instead, it sets out how the two governments intend to translate their broader partnership into practical military activities.
What happens next?
The immediate task for both defence ministries will be to implement the commitments set out in the three-year plan.
That includes organising joint training, coordinating military requirements and developing cooperation between defence manufacturers.
Some initiatives, including air-defence and naval programmes, are already under way.
Others, particularly the development of new technologies and expanded industrial capacity, will require further decisions, funding and implementation.
The complete signed text of the three-year plan has not yet been publicly obtained, meaning not every activity, deadline or responsibility can be independently assessed.
Nevertheless, the governments’ statements establish a clear direction.
Poland and Britain intend to deepen military cooperation while strengthening their roles within NATO and supporting Ukraine.
The agreement also signals Warsaw’s willingness to advocate closer defence cooperation between Britain and the European Union.
For Poland, the relationship offers access to British industrial expertise and military capabilities.
For Britain, it provides a closer partnership with one of NATO’s most strategically important eastern members.
The significance of the Warsaw Defence Plan will ultimately depend on how effectively both countries translate their commitments into military exercises, operational readiness and concrete industrial projects over the next three years.
