On Thursday, October 1, 2026, the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division named after King Casimir IV Jagiellon and the Armament Agency of the Polish Ministry of National Defence announced on social media the delivery of elements of the fourth and final battery module (BMO) of the Gladius unmanned reconnaissance and strike system under the initial contract with WB Group. The equipment was delivered to the 14th Suwałki Anti-Tank Regiment.
Photo: WB Group
The Gladius unmanned reconnaissance and strike system is designed to conduct precision strikes against targets at ranges of up to 100 km and to carry out airborne imagery reconnaissance using reconnaissance variants of the FT-5 unmanned aircraft, equipped with electro-optical payloads capable of recording imagery both in daylight and with thermal imaging, as well as SAR and ELINT variants. The system’s effectors are Gladius strike unmanned aircraft integrated with the Topaz fire-control system used by the Polish Armed Forces. A Battery Module includes launchers, command vehicles, ammunition vehicles, maintenance vehicles, and a stock of Gladius strike unmanned aircraft.
Gladius is an entirely Polish-developed system. In addition to the aforementioned Topaz integrated battlefield management system, command-and-communications solutions – including the Fonet digital vehicle communications platform, computer terminals, active LAN and WAN network components, and tactical radios – as well as integration into a single coherent system are provided by WB Group. WB Electronics is the prime contractor, with WB Group companies Flytronic and ZAiUP Arex acting as subcontractors. Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), part of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), supplies the Waran 4×4 tactical multipurpose vehicle chassis used for the command and launcher vehicles.
The procurement program for Gladius battery modules was included in the Polish Armed Forces Technical Modernization Plan for 2021–2035, signed on October 10, 2019, by then Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak. Deliveries to the Polish Armed Forces are being carried out under a 2 billion PLN contract for the Gladius system signed on May 6, 2022, between the State Treasury – Armament Agency and WB Electronics. The contract covers the delivery of four Battery Modules together with training and logistics packages. The logistics package includes maintenance kits and servicing for the unmanned aircraft, while the training package includes personnel training as well as BSP-UT training unmanned aircraft and Gladius simulators.
The first Gladius battery module was delivered to the 18th Artillery Brigade, according to WB Group information from December 18, 2024, with deliveries having begun in December 2022. The deliveries were preceded by verification tests, as reported on December 5, 2023. Subsequent deliveries went to the 1st Masurian Artillery Brigade in autumn 2024, the 14th Suwałki Anti-Tank Regiment on December 15, 2025, and the 5th Artillery Regiment in Sulechów on December 25, 2025.
On May 28 this year, under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe) loan program, 12 additional Gladius battery modules were ordered for more than 9.3 billion PLN net. Their configuration will include next-generation Warmate 30 effectors as part of Gladius 2.
The system is currently being offered to Romania, also under the SAFE program, and was recently presented to Swedish partners.
Ruszyły dostawy elementów ostatniego, czwartego bateryjnego modułu ogniowego bezzałogowego systemu powietrzno-uderzeniowego #GLADIUS od @WBGroup_PL. Kończymy realizację pierwszej umowy.
System może prowadzić rozpoznanie z powietrza i wykonywać uderzenia, działając w ugrupowaniu… https://t.co/fY1BVMSmQT
— Agencja Uzbrojenia (@AgencjaUzbr) October 1, 2026
