The Loitering Munitions Conference held in the United Kingdom brought together several hundred participants from over a dozen countries. These included representatives of military units specializing in the use of loitering munition systems, NATO structures and commands, as well as the international defense industry. Poland was represented at the conference by, among others, a representative of the Territorial Defence Forces (WOT) Command and the Deputy Head of the Warmate Team from the Territorial Defence Forces Training Center (CS WOT) in Toruń. The latter delivered a speech on the “Cooperation between the CS WOT and WB Electronics as part of one of the largest programs involving loitering munition systems“.
Photos: CS WOT
“The event had a unique character, as it was the first of its kind in the world. The atmosphere was filled with goodwill, creating a perfect environment for the exchange of experiences. It was valuable to learn about the trends and challenges faced by all NATO countries. We all unanimously agreed that this is just the beginning of the future story related to loitering munitions. It is an essential, if not critical, element on modern and future battlefields,” said a participant from the Territorial Defense Forces Training Center.
“The organized conference was the first event of its kind in the world, but as its participants emphasize, it will not be the last. Additionally, the participants managed to develop a shared vision for the development of loitering munition systems. According to this vision, future efforts will steer their development toward specific specializations, meaning, ‘One system will be dedicated to a specific task, e.g., one system for neutralizing air defense systems, another for destroying tanks, yet another for infantry, etc.,'” added the Deputy Head of the Warmate Team from the Territorial Defense Forces Training Center.
Loitering munitions are a type of precision weaponry, with their main component being a strike-capable unmanned aerial vehicle. These systems are equipped with warheads that, upon detecting and identifying a target, strike it, causing an explosion. Currently, a wide variety of such weapon systems are in use globally (Polish Warmate loitering munitions have been successfully destroying Russian Repeynik and Podlet-K1 radars).
On September 29, 2023, the first-ever course for instructors of the Warmate loitering munition system in Poland was completed at the Territorial Defense Forces Training Center. On May 25, 2023, combat flights using this system were conducted at the 21st Central Aviation Range in Nadarzyce, and in May 2023, training sessions were held for observer sections from the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade, the 3rd Territorial Defence Brigade, and representatives of the US Army on calling in fire from the battlefield using the Warmate system.