Photos: PGZ
Modern defense operations can no longer rely solely on limited quantities of very expensive weapons systems. They require affordable long-range strike assets that can be produced quickly, deployed in large numbers, and replenished at a pace matching the dynamics of the modern battlefield. Thanks to the PGZ–Anduril partnership, one of Europe’s first large-scale production lines for a new generation of low-cost and scalable weapons systems will be established. The initiative will create new opportunities for reindustrializing the defense sector on the continent and provide Poland with production capabilities for precision strike assets that the country currently needs.
According to the press release, under the cooperation agreement, which expands on the provisions of the memorandum signed on October 27, 2025, WZL-2, part of PGZ, and Anduril will produce thousands of SLB-500M systems. These declarations will, of course, be verified only once the Armament Agency places its first order.
As stated further, in subsequent stages of the project, PGZ and Anduril will gradually increase the share of local suppliers, incorporating more Polish and European components. The goal is to create a Polish version of Barracuda as a product mostly manufactured in Europe and compliant with the requirements of the SAFE program. Military Aviation Works No. 2 is a strategic element of the project. Bydgoszcz, described as “NATO’s capital in Poland” due to its importance for military training and its developed defense industry, has a skilled workforce in the production and logistics sectors (Polish Armaments Group to Offer Localized Anduril Barracuda-500M Cruise Missile for the Armed Forces).
„This confirms that we are striving, and doing so very effectively, through various tools, diplomacy, and cooperation between our companies and partners from NATO countries, to realistically and effectively ensure Poland’s security and support the development of the Polish defense industry. This agreement concerns one of the most important elements of effective defense on the modern battlefield, namely autonomous, self-maneuvering long-range Barracuda 500 missiles,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after the agreement was signed.
The implementation of the agreement will enable the assembly, followed by production and in-service support, of Barracuda cruise missiles at companies belonging to the Polish Armaments Group. At a later stage, the parties will work on the to adapt the system to Polish requirements and increase the share of Polish and European components, on Anduril’s software solutions.
„Today, Poland’s national interest is here, in Bydgoszcz. On the one hand, it shows a major Polish-American investment in the development of the most advanced long-range precision cruise missile technologies, capable of reaching ranges of more than 900 kilometers. This is of strategic importance from the perspective of the ability to affect the whole of Europe, because Poland is the first country with which Anduril has signed this type of agreement in Europe. We can become a hub not only for ourselves. Under this agreement, the Polish Armaments Group has obtained exclusivity for production, technology transfer, the transfer of know-how and competencies, and, as a result, the production of the Polish version of Barracuda 500, as well as talks on the next stages of cooperation,” Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said after the agreement was signed.
As the head of the Ministry of National Defence emphasized, Poland had never before had such capabilities to produce this type of weapon. „Today, we will have not only assembly capability, but ultimately also our own production capability on Polish territory. We will also cooperate with other countries in this area. This shows that Poland is a genuine leader on NATO’s eastern flank. With this message, we will go together with the entire delegation, with the President of the Republic of Poland, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and other representatives, to the NATO Summit, to present Poland’s clear position as a military and economic leader on NATO’s eastern flank,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.
„State resilience is built on many levels. Of course, the highest level is the condition of our army, its readiness, equipment, and new capabilities. Today, we are talking precisely about the path toward acquiring new capabilities. But state resilience is also built through the condition of the defense industry. And this is something we have been implementing very consistently for many months. We are improving the condition of the Polish defense industry. As I have said from the beginning: if we spend almost 5% of GDP on defense, we must also have the best defense industry, at least in the European Union,” Deputy Minister Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka said during the conference.
During the conference, the Deputy Prime Minister announced that the rotation of US troops to Poland would continue.
„Poland today is a true transatlantic bridge connecting the United States with Europe. It is a loyal, model ally – as we often hear from our American partners. That is why I was all the more pleased to receive information from Ms. Stephanie Holmes, Deputy Ambassador of the United States to Poland, and from the US military attaché in Poland, that the rotation of American troops, which had been suspended several weeks ago, is resuming, will continue, and in the coming weeks the rotation of US troops in Poland will be completed,” the head of the Ministry of National Defence said.
„The cooperation agreement with Anduril is a breakthrough both for our defense and for the Polish defense industry. It is also a milestone in the development of the Polish Armaments Group’s competencies. Together with our American partner, we will be able, in a short time, to produce and deliver several thousand low-cost yet technologically advanced autonomous long-range Barracuda cruise missiles. This is an entirely new area in the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces, and we count on positive interest in our new product, including from other markets,” said PGZ Management Board President Adam Leszkiewicz. „We are creating production capabilities and defining a technological development path for missiles that can become an important element of Poland’s security through deterrence and long-range strike capabilities. An additional dimension of this cooperation will be the participation of Polish Armaments Group companies in the development of the missiles, including adapting them to Polish requirements and increasing the share of Polish and European components. The agreement also shows how important cooperation with the American defense industry is for PGZ,” Adam Leszkiewicz added.
„The future of deterrence belongs to countries that can produce advanced military capabilities quickly, affordably, and at the appropriate scale,” said Brian Moran, Anduril’s Vice President responsible for Europe. „By launching Barracuda production in Poland together with PGZ, we are helping build a European industrial base capable of replenishing precision strike stockpiles at a pace that meets modern operational needs. At the same time, we are taking an important step toward transforming the defense industry on the continent,” he added.
Photo: Anduril Industries
The Surface-Launched Barracuda-500M is a proven solution that has attracted strong interest as a response to allied challenges related to ammunition and weapons production. On May 13 this year, the US Department of Defense announced a framework agreement with Anduril to rapidly scale up production of the SLB-500M system under the Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) program (US: Four suppliers selected for low-cost cruise missiles under the LCCM program).
The SLB-500M missile was designed to effectively engage a wide range of land and maritime targets. It is equipped with a 100-pound, approximately 45 kg, warhead and offers a range of more than 500 nautical miles, or over 925 km. The SLB-500M launcher will be installed in a standard 6-meter ISO container and will hold 16 missiles in storage. The Barracuda system was developed with large-scale production in mind, using a simplified architecture, a resilient supply chain, and standard manufacturing processes and tools.
Photo: US Department of Defense
On September 12, 2024, Anduril Industries unveiled a new family of Barracuda-M cruise missiles, comprising the Barracuda-100M, Barracuda-250M, and Barracuda-500M models. As the manufacturer describes them, these are expendable, autonomous, turbojet-powered air vehicles designed for low-cost mass production. The missiles are intended to be launched from aircraft, both crewed and uncrewed, as well as from helicopters and maritime and ground platforms.
Each of the Barracuda variants presented has roughly the same general layout, with a pair of deployable wings in the central fuselage section and folding tail surfaces at the rear. Integrated conformal air intakes feed their propulsion systems. According to the manufacturer, all three missiles have a maximum flight speed of up to 926 km/h, or 500 kt, can withstand loads of up to 5G, and can fly for more than 120 minutes.
On June 8, 2025, Germany’s Rheinmetall AG announced that it had entered into a strategic partnership with Anduril to integrate the Battlesuite next-generation digital communications platform with autonomous unmanned systems from the Barracuda and Fury families, as well as to cooperate on solid rocket motors, offering these solutions on European markets.
UPDATE
On Tuesday, July 7, 2026, the first day of the 38th NATO Summit in Ankara, during the related NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, Deputy Minister of State Assets Konrad Gołota signed a strategic agreement with the United States, Estonia, and Latvia under which Poland will become the main production hub for the SL Barracuda-500M system in Europe – not only for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces, but also for other countries in the region.
📍 #Bydgoszcz | W obecności @PremierRP @donaldtusk, wicepremiera W. @KosiniakKamysz oraz wiceministrów obrony narodowej @magdasobkowiak i @CTomczyk, podpisano umowę o współpracy @PGZ_pl i Wojskowych Zakładów Lotniczych nr 2 z firmą @anduriltech w zakresie rozwoju zdolności… pic.twitter.com/pfvQayHgAs
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 6, 2026
Realizacja umowy pozwoli na montaż, a następnie produkcję oraz obsługę eksploatacyjną pocisków manewrujących Barracuda w spółkach @PGZ_pl. W dalszej kolejności strony będą pracować nad polonizacją i europeizacją systemu opartego o rozwiązania softwear’owe@anduriltech. pic.twitter.com/aN61zFF2fz
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 6, 2026
— Cezary Tomczyk (@CTomczyk) July 6, 2026
Mamy to! 🚀
✍️ Podpisano porozumienie o współpracy pomiędzy:
🇵🇱 @PGZ_pl,
✈️ Wojskowymi Zakładami Lotniczymi Nr 2 [@WZL2_SA],
🇺🇸 @anduriltech.Ze strony PGZ dokument popisali: @AdamLeszkiewicz, Prezes Zarządu i Piotr Zawieja, Wiceprezes Zarządu PGZ S.A.
✅ Celem jest… pic.twitter.com/BfvNvAX9f5
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) July 6, 2026
💬 Premier @donaldtusk w #Bydgoszcz: To ważny moment dla polskiego przemysłu zbrojeniowego, polskiego bezpieczeństwa oraz współpracy polsko-amerykańskiej. To wszystko skupia się dzisiaj w Wojskowych Zakładach Lotniczych w Bydgoszczy.
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
💬 Premier @donaldtusk w #Bydgoszcz: Polska jest dzisiaj państwem najlepiej przygotowanym do współpracy, zarówno ze stroną amerykańską, jak i z pozostałymi partnerami z NATO.
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: Dzisiaj ta polska racja stanu jest tutaj, w Bydgoszczy. Pokazuje z jednej strony wielką inwestycję polsko-amerykańską w rozwój najnowocześniejszych technologii dalekiego, precyzyjnego zasięgu pocisków manewrujących, które mogą osiągać zasięg… pic.twitter.com/4h4c5vXq8C
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 6, 2026
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: Budujemy Polskę jako strategiczne miejsce transferu technologii i rozwoju przemysłu zbrojeniowego, który staje się kołem napędowym polskiej gospodarki. To miejsce, w którym spotykają się zdolności polskiej armii, trzeciej co do wielkości w Sojuszu… pic.twitter.com/UzS0nJu76X
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 6, 2026
Sekretarz stanu w MON @magdasobkowiak: Poprawiamy kondycję polskiego przemysłu zbrojeniowego. Tak jak mówiłam od początku, jeżeli wydajemy na obronność prawie 5% PKB, to musimy mieć również najlepszy przemysł zbrojeniowy, co najmniej w Unii Europejskiej. Cieszę się, że nasi… pic.twitter.com/xgBP0KF6oY
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) July 6, 2026
💬 Wicepremier @KosiniakKamysz w #Bydgoszcz: Budujemy Polskę, jako strategiczne miejsce dla transferu technologii i rozwoju przemysłu zbrojeniowego, który staje się kołem zamachowym polskiej gospodarki.
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
💬 Wicepremier @KosiniakKamysz w #Bydgoszcz: Polska nigdy nie miała zdolności do takiej produkcji zbrojeniowej. Dziś mamy zdolności do posiadania własnej produkcji na terytorium Polski. Jesteśmy autentycznym liderem wschodniej flanki NATO.
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
💬 Wicepremier @KosiniakKamysz w #Bydgoszcz: Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa może dziś szczycić się jedynym w Europie kontraktem i współpracą z amerykańską firmą Anduril.
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
💬 Wiceminister @magdasobkowiak w #Bydgoszcz: Odporność państwa buduje się poprzez kondycję przemysłu zbrojeniowego. To od wielu miesięcy konsekwentnie realizujemy. pic.twitter.com/muZRad1w5p
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) July 6, 2026
🗣️ – Kończy się era, w której Polska tylko kupowała gotowe rozwiązania. Jeśli ktoś chce sprzedawać nam uzbrojenie, musi inwestować w Polsce i produkować je wspólnie z polskimi firmami. Bezpieczeństwo to także silny przemysł, rozwój gospodarki i odporność na dezinformację. My o to… pic.twitter.com/orp4kZzMe5
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) July 6, 2026
🗣️ – Dzisiaj polska racja stanu jest realizowana tu – w @WZL2_SA w Bydgoszczy. Pokazujemy wielką umowę polsko-amerykańską. Inwestycję w rozwój najnowocześniejszych technologii dalekiego zasięgu pocisków manewrujących, które mogą osiągać zasięg przekraczający 900 kilometrów. To ma… pic.twitter.com/siYonGeOwF
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) July 6, 2026
— Anduril Industries (@anduriltech) July 7, 2026
Polska będzie produkować nowoczesne pociski Barracuda 500M dla innych państw naszego regionu!
Wiceminister aktywów państwowych @KonradGolota podpisał podczas szczytu NATO w Ankarze strategiczne porozumienie z USA, Estonią i Łotwą. Na jego podstawie Polska stanie się głównym… pic.twitter.com/ocs2ZqyXUm
— Ministerstwo Aktywów Państwowych 🇵🇱 (@MAPGOVPL) July 7, 2026