Poland awards US$4.2bn C-UAS border contract as EU drone wall concept takes shape along eastern frontier

Poland awarded a US$4.2 billion contract to Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace and state-owned PGZ in January 2026 for a comprehensive border counter-UAS system under the San C-UAS programme. The system will equip 18 anti-drone batteries encompassing 52 firing platoons, 18 command platoons and 703 vehicles. First elements are expected before year-end, with full delivery within 24 months. The contract is the largest C-UAS procurement in EU history and forms part of the NATO-EU concept of a drone wall along the 3,000 km eastern frontier, combining ground-based sensors, AI-supported reconnaissance drones and mobile counter-drone platforms augmented by satellite surveillance data. European Security and Defence’s April 2026 analysis of C-UAS options documents the full spectrum from EW jammers and kinetic interceptors to command and control integration, noting the critical challenge of differentiating hostile UAS from legitimate and friendly unmanned aircraft sharing the same airspace — a challenge directly applicable to police and border security operations.

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