On Friday, 7 November 2025, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced the deployment of MEROPS (Multispectral Extended Range Optical Sight) anti-drone systems on NATO’s eastern flank.
Optoelectronic sensor of MEROPS system / Photo: Aselsan
“U.S. MEROPS Anti-Drone Systems Already in Poland! Along NATO’s eastern flank, systems are being deployed that will enhance our ability to detect and neutralize drones. Our allied cooperation continues to bring tangible results. I would like to thank the United States and NATO for this decision and for our joint efforts to strengthen security. At the same time, we are conducting intensive training for our soldiers,” wrote the Minister of National Defence on social media.
A day earlier, on 6 November, in an interview with the Associated Press, Colonel Mark McLellan, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations at NATO Allied Land Command, stated that U.S.-made anti-drone systems would be delivered to Poland, Romania, and Denmark.
“What this system does is give us very accurate detection,” said Col. Mark McLellan, assistant chief of staff operations at NATO Allied Land Command. “It’s able to target the drones and take them down and at a low cost as well. … It’s a lot cheaper than flying an F-35 into the air to take them down with a missile.”
However, the first announcement of the planned deployment had appeared earlier, on 20 September, in a report by the German Press Agency (dpa). At the time, it was reported that the move was a response to recent airspace violations over Poland (9–10 September) and Romania (13 September) by Russian drones during attacks on Ukraine. The plan was later expanded to include Denmark, which had repeatedly reported the presence of unidentified drones near its airports.
It is worth recalling that on 29 September, the Polish Minister of National Defence met with Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defence and Space, to discuss the new European initiative “Eastern Flank Watch”, which he described as a “drone wall.”
MEROPS
Although the system has been publicly referred to as MEROPS, this designation in fact comes from the Turkish-made electro-optical turret, which constitutes its key component, produced by the company Aselsan. The system was unveiled for the first time during the Eurosatory 2022 defense exhibition in Paris. It is equipped with thermal imaging cameras operating in both short-wave infrared (SWIR) and mid-wave infrared (MWIR) bands, which makes it effective not only at night but also in conditions of smoke, haze, or dust.
The sensor incorporates the latest image-processing technologies, including traditional image enhancement as well as advanced machine-learning-based algorithms (artificial intelligence). It also offers moving-target identification, isotherm visualization, false-color imaging, and threat recognition capabilities.
“The design philosophy behind MEROPS focuses on the real operational needs of the armed forces in combat conditions. Users can therefore easily obtain a crystal-clear image under any observation circumstances,” said Haluk Görgün, President and CEO of Aselsan, during the system’s presentation.
MEROPS can be mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or helicopters. It is not clear in what configuration the systems have been deployed on NATO’s eastern flank, although Col. Mark McLellan hinted at the former when telling the Associated Press that MEROPS is “basically flies drones against drones.”
In its full configuration, however, the system is compact and reportedly includes a jamming component (soft-kill) and interceptor drones (hard-kill). It is also designed to integrate with radar systems to enable early threat detection.
‼️🇵🇱🇺🇸
Amerykańskie systemy antydronowe MEROPS już w Polsce! Wzdłuż wschodniej flanki NATO są rozmieszczane systemy, które zwiększą nasze zdolności wykrywania i zwalczania dronów. Nasza współpraca sojusznicza przynosi kolejne konkretne efekty. Dziękuję 🇺🇲 i NATO za tę decyzję i…— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) November 7, 2025
Pilne ! System #MEROPS rozpoczyna działanie w Polsce. Będzie bronił wschodniej Polski przed atakami rosyjskich dronów.
Według moich informacji nie jest to system zakupiony przez #wojskopolskie – to amerykańska kontrybucja – wsparcie @USEmbassyWarsaw @USArmyEURAF w… pic.twitter.com/831grnMQfU
— Michal Stela (@michalstela) November 7, 2025
