UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard opened the site with Polish Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Zalewski. British personnel will work with Polish specialists to support the protection of Poland’s airspace.
The centre will allow PILICA+ equipment to be maintained more quickly and directly in Poland. The programme is developing an integrated network to defend the country’s airspace and strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
“The UK is proud to stand alongside Poland as a close friend, trusted ally, and partner in security, industry collaboration and defence,” Pollard said. “At a time when Europe faces its most serious security challenges for generations, the opening of MBDA’s new site demonstrates that the relationship between our two nations has never been more important.”
“Stronger Polish air defences means stronger NATO air defences, and that work is taking place while also backing jobs in both nations,” Pollard added. More than 400 MBDA employees in Bristol, Stevenage and Bolton work on programmes supporting Poland.
MBDA expects the Czosnów site to bring investment and industrial activity to the surrounding region. The company said the facility would also support Poland’s sovereign defence capabilities.
“Our site in Czosnów is evidence of how MBDA, as a strategic partner to governments, is helping deliver national sovereign capability, and by extension, facilitating cooperation and supporting the security of NATO partners,” said Chris Allam, managing director of MBDA UK. “Poland and the United Kingdom have a strong, longstanding security relationship, and MBDA is very proud to work with both nations, to find opportunities for co-development of future technology.”
The facility forms part of a broader UK-Polish partnership on air and missile defence. The two countries are also working on the NAREW programme, which is valued at more than £4 billion.
NAREW will provide Poland with more than 1,000 air-defence missiles and over 100 launchers. The programme will also help Poland establish domestic missile manufacturing capacity.
Bilateral cooperation extends to the MIECZNIK naval programme. The UK is supporting the development of three Arrowhead-design frigates for Poland, with the first vessel entering the water last month.
The two governments signed a Security and Defence Partnership Treaty in May. The agreement covers defence, security and economic resilience.
Pollard will also visit the MSPO defence exhibition in Poland, where 38 British companies are presenting their technologies. The UK government has committed £298 billion over four years under its Defence Investment Plan.
