Defence & Space

Rheinmetall receives major international orders for 155mm artillery ammunition

Rheinmetall Denel Munition has received two new orders for 155 mm ERFB artillery ammunition. International customer orders projectiles, propellants and…

2025-06-03 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Poland: Tenders for Additional Engineering Equipment under the East Shield Initiative

The 2nd Regional Logistics Base has announced four tenders related to the acquisition of engineering and construction equipment for the Polish…

2025-06-02 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Karkonosze Program: A Game-Changer for the Polish Air Force’s Tankers?

The Polish Air Force has been requesting the acquisition of aerial refueling tankers for years. The program to procure a multi-role transport…

2025-05-23 | Sławek Zagórski | 5 minutes

Swedish A26 Submarine and Poland’s Orka Program

In early April, Saab organized a visit for representatives of the Polish defense media to the Saab Kockums shipyard, located in Karlskrona…

2025-05-08 | Przemysław Gurgurewicz | 16 minutes

Rheinmetall receives major international orders for 155mm artillery ammunition

Rheinmetall Denel Munition has received two new orders for 155 mm ERFB artillery ammunition. International customer orders projectiles, propellants and…

2025-06-03 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Rheinmetall Resonant South Africa (Pty) Ltd. established

New subsidiary Rheinmetall Resonant South Africa (Pty) Ltd. complements Rheinmetall’s plant engineering expertise in planning, setting-up and operating of production…

2025-06-02 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Advancing multi-domain EW operations: Rohde & Schwarz unveils latest innovations at AOC Europe

Rohde & Schwarz demonstrates the next generation of SIGINT/EW systems, sensor fusion and signal analysis solutions, designed to meet the evolving…

2025-05-12 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Iberian Blackout: Is Poland Prepared for a Similar Scenario?

The blackout on the Iberian Peninsula has prompted a few cautious questions about whether Poland is secure in the event of…

2025-05-02 | Krzysztof Zagórski | 6 minutes

IDET & PYROS 2025: KALAN Tracked Amphibious Vehicle as the Successor to the PTS

During the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS (held alongside IDET 2025 in Brno), the Czech company New…

2025-05-30 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Patria AMV XP 8×8 with TURRA 30 Turret

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2025 in the Czech Republic, Finnish company Patria Oyj showcased its…

2025-05-29 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Rheinmetall receives major international orders for 155mm artillery ammunition

Rheinmetall Denel Munition has received two new orders for 155 mm ERFB artillery ammunition. International customer orders projectiles, propellants and…

2025-06-03 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Rheinmetall Resonant South Africa (Pty) Ltd. established

New subsidiary Rheinmetall Resonant South Africa (Pty) Ltd. complements Rheinmetall’s plant engineering expertise in planning, setting-up and operating of production…

2025-06-02 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

IDET & PYROS 2025: KALAN Tracked Amphibious Vehicle as the Successor to the PTS

During the International Fire Fighting Equipment and Services Fair PYROS (held alongside IDET 2025 in Brno), the Czech company New…

2025-05-30 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

Leonardo and Weststar Join Forces to Supply Helicopters to Malaysia

During the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Italian company Leonardo and Malaysian firm Weststar…

2025-05-20 | Redakcja | 4 minutes

Rheinmetall receives major international orders for 155mm artillery ammunition

Rheinmetall Denel Munition has received two new orders for 155 mm ERFB artillery ammunition. International customer orders projectiles, propellants and…

2025-06-03 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Poland: Tenders for Additional Engineering Equipment under the East Shield Initiative

The 2nd Regional Logistics Base has announced four tenders related to the acquisition of engineering and construction equipment for the Polish…

2025-06-02 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Polish Minister of Defence Travels to the U.S. for Meeting with Pete Hegseth

A press conference was held at the 1st Airlift Base with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Another Meeting at the Polish Ministry of National Defence with a Delegation from South Korea’s DAPA

Polish Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda met with Deputy Minister of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA),…

2025-05-14 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Airbus, CNES and VAST reaffirm commitment to strengthening EO capabilities in Vietnam

Airbus Defence and Space, the French Space Agency, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology have signed a Declaration of…

2025-05-26 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

ICEYE and IHI start cooperation to develop SAR satellite constellation in Japan

The Polish-Finnish company ICEYE and the Japanese IHI Corporation are beginning cooperation in the construction of a constellation of up to 24…

2025-05-22 | Redakcja | 3 minutes
Shooting

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Grand Power Showcases M4M1 Carbines for the Slovak Armed Forces

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2023 in the Czech Republic, Grand Power — a Slovak firearms manufacturer — showcased…

2025-05-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

Streamlight introduces the TLR-8 HL-X and TLR-8 HL-X sub

Streamlight introduces the TLR-8 HL-X flashlight with an integrated laser sight, producing a beam with up to 1,000 lumens of power, offering…

2025-03-18 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 minutes

Enforce Tac 2025 starts on February 24th

Enforce Tac is an international trade fair aimed at law enforcement officers, experts from government agencies, and representatives of the…

2025-01-30 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

POLSECURE: Holsters HPE Poland offer for uniformed services

At the 3rd International Police and Public Security Fair POLSECURE 2024 in Kielce, Holsters HPE Poland presented its offer for…

2024-05-01 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

MSBS GROT BULLPUP conversion now available

Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” Radom is introducing long-awaited conversion kits for the MSBS GROT S16 FB-M1 and S10 FB-M1 semi-automatic rifles,…

2025-06-02 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

IDET 2025: Grand Power Showcases M4M1 Carbines for the Slovak Armed Forces

At the International Defence and Security Technologies Fair IDET 2023 in the Czech Republic, Grand Power — a Slovak firearms manufacturer — showcased…

2025-05-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Weapon light: a practical tool for everyday service. How to choose?

In the world of armed forces, where every second can determine the outcome of an operation, precision and effectiveness are…

2024-08-29 | Redakcja | 7 minutes

Over 100% increase in gun permits in Poland in 2024

The Polish Police have released statistical data on firearm permits issued in 2024. An increasing number of Poles now hold…

2025-02-20 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

Firearms In Poland 2023: Number of permits continues to grow

The National Police Headquarters has released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and firearms themselves in the hands of…

2024-02-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

5 Best Value ATN Rifle Scopes Under €1500

ATN is a leading manufacturer of daytime optics, smart night vision, and thermal vision technology. The innovative features and ergonomic designs…

2022-11-11 | Redakcja | 8 minutes

MILMAG Visits Grand Power

Grand Power is a Slovak manufacturer of the acknowledged good quality firearms. Take part in our guided tour with English subtitles.

2022-05-23 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

Protective Rescuer Vest – BC Arms Archangel

The Archangel Rescuer Vest is the result of a collaboration between Polish companies Currahee and BC Arms. It was created in…

2025-05-16 | Mariusz Rams | 6 minutes

Direct Action Spitfire Plate Carrier – Part 1: Testing the Carrier

Nowadays, the market offers a wide range of options in the gear and load-bearing equipment category. One of the most basic…

2025-05-08 | Michał Gaweł | 14 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

Iberian Blackout: Is Poland Prepared for a Similar Scenario?

The blackout on the Iberian Peninsula has prompted a few cautious questions about whether Poland is secure in the event of a power grid failure. The question is all the more valid given how surprisingly hesitant the media and public discourse have been in addressing the issue.

A Spanish court has ruled that the cause of the outage that cut off power to Spain, Portugal, and parts of France will remain unknown. State secrecy, national security, ongoing investigation—take your pick of the reasons, whichever sounds most credible, or at least mysterious enough. One fact remains: something went very wrong. And that alone is reason enough to ask here in Poland—are we prepared for a similar scenario?

Photos: Polish Power Grid (Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne)

A similar question has likely crossed the minds not only of energy and security experts, but also of those who’ve marked the date of a potential Polish blackout in their calendars—right after the long weekend and the next elections. Because the question isn’t if such a blackout might happen, but when, and how painful it will be.

So, what happened in Spain? All we really know is that power was cut off from consumers. The court classified the investigation, which can only mean one thing: a serious suspicion of sabotage, a cyberattack, or a systemic failure that reveals too much about the weaknesses in critical infrastructure. No one puts a secrecy stamp on a report about a burnt-out cable.

Such decisions are usually made when the consequences of knowing are more dangerous than not knowing. If it turned out that a few hackers with Internet access and more determination than the operator’s security systems managed to shut off power in three EU countries, public trust would collapse faster than Barcelona’s defense in a match against Inter.

What About Poland?

Despite numerous investments and upgrades, Poland’s power grid is still operating at the edge of its capacity. Many of the power lines were designed at a time when no one had heard of heat pumps, and the pinnacle of household luxury was a Goldstar television sitting next to a Blaupunkt or Technics Hi-Fi tower. Today, we have tens of thousands of heat pumps, millions of air conditioners, and devices that demand electricity as relentlessly as a tax office clerk chasing two złoty in unpaid taxes.

On top of that, Poland’s power balance is already tight. During peak demand in winter and summer, the country imports electricity from Germany, the Czech Republic, or Lithuania. But imports have one major drawback—they don’t work if neighboring countries are in trouble too. And in a crisis, every country thinks of itself first. Rightfully so—and Poland should do the same.

Is Poland safe? No. Is it better protected than Ukraine was in 2015, when the Russians shut off power to 200,000 people? Yes. But there’s a vast gap between better protected and secure—a gap you can fall into with just one click on a malicious email attachment.

Polish Power Grid Operator (PSE) is indeed investing in cybersecurity.

Construction of the 400 kV Choczewo substation

Weakest element

We have the Military Cyber Operations Center, CERT teams, and critical infrastructure protection programs. The problem is, hackers don’t wait for new strategies—they wait for new opportunities. And the Polish system offers plenty of those, most often due to human error.

In 2021, hackers breached the servers of the Digital Poland Projects Centre (CPPC), an institution managing billions of złoty. Cybercriminals impersonated the CPPC director in an attempt to fraudulently request a wire transfer via email. Additionally, one of the servers was running outdated software, which allowed the attackers to hack it and potentially gain access to confidential documents.

According to the Internal Security Agency (ABW), in 2022, Russian APT groups carried out phishing campaigns targeting government officials, soldiers, journalists, and public institutions. The attacks involved sending manipulated documents or links that installed spyware.

Not enough? In the first quarter of 2023, the Lazarus cybercriminal group, linked to North Korea, targeted a Polish defense industry supplier. Employees at the company received fake job offers containing infected attachments. Once opened, a trojan was installed on their computers, allowing remote control of the system. The goal of the attack was industrial espionage and the acquisition of sensitive data.

In October 2024, cybercriminals sent out emails impersonating the Ministry of Finance, claiming the recipients had outstanding tax payments. The messages contained an attachment with an infected file which, once opened, installed the LokiBot malware. This malware was designed to steal authentication data—such as usernames and passwords—from web browsers and other applications.

Could similar methods be used to attack systems that manage parts of the power grid? Absolutely. A single mistake by a regular employee could trigger a domino effect, potentially paralyzing a large region of the country. And how many so-called digital creators that have popped up on Facebook in recent months might be based somewhere near Moscow? Quite a few. Just as many men might be tempted by their photos, offered for download from the cloud. Silly? Maybe. But also true.

Similar methods have been used in other phishing campaigns, where cybercriminals posed as attractive individuals and promised to send intimate photos or videos. After opening attachments or clicking on links, victims’ devices were infected with malware that enabled data theft or user surveillance.

In 2020, researchers from IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence uncovered a phishing campaign in which attackers sent emails claiming to possess nude photos of a recipient’s acquaintance. The message stated that the images had been obtained by hacking into the acquaintance’s email account and demanded a ransom in return.

If the recipient clicked on the attachment, it opened a Word document containing a blurred image and instructions to “enable content.” Once activated, the malware was installed on the computer, stealing login credentials, credit card information, and other sensitive data.

Simple and effective—and its success depends on the weakest link: the person who decides to click a link, open a file, or pursue a romance with an alluring woman who might, in reality, be Ivan, typing away in Cyrillic.

Hybrid Warfare

The question today is no longer if a blackout will happen, but whether we’re prepared for when it does. Do we have supplies? Do government institutions have contingency plans? Do local authorities know what to do when the lights go out and gas stations stop working? Do households have generators? Does the military have a plan to secure critical infrastructure? And most importantly—does anyone in the government treat energy security as seriously as they treat election strategy?

For 90 percent of these questions, the answer is simple: no. Just as people once mocked Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz’s emergency backpack, now social media commenters laugh about blackouts, joking that at least the birth rate will go up. The first group stopped laughing when the floods came. The second may stop when they spend a week without electricity—like residents of parts of Spain and Portugal recently did.

The Spanish blackout is a warning. The fact that its cause was classified is a red flag. And we’re sitting on an energy powder keg, hoping the spark won’t hit today. Or tomorrow. Or in November. Maybe after the first snowfall. But the security of a state cannot be built on maybe.

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