The United Kingdom and Poland have signed a three-year Warsaw Defence Plan in Warsaw, setting out the first phase of defence cooperation under the UK-Poland Security and Defence Partnership Treaty. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting met Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on 27 October to launch the plan, which is intended to strengthen security and deterrence on Europe's eastern flank.

The plan covers cooperation across sea, land, air, cyber and industry. Priorities include manufacturing and developing next-generation air defence missiles, co-developing drone and counter-drone technology to protect civilians and critical infrastructure, and expanding large-calibre ammunition production through BAE Systems and Poland's PGZ. The two countries will also work more closely on cyber security, defence procurement coordination and workforce training.

Defence spending and the wider footprint

The agreement was published on the same day as the Ministry of Defence's UK Defence Footprint 2026, which sets out planned defence spending of £298 billion over the next four years. The document brings together contracts, innovation funding and measures to help businesses enter defence supply chains, including a ringfenced innovation budget and support for smaller firms.

Joint exercises are also central to the Warsaw plan, with a major exercise planned in Poland in November 2026 to prepare the Multinational Force Ukraine for training and post-war rebuilding support. The two governments have stressed continued support for Ukraine, and the plan builds on existing cooperation such as Poland's purchase of the Narew air defence system from MBDA UK.

Sources: Crowell & Moring and Defence Industry Europe.