Poland, UK, France, Germany, Italy to develop joint drone capabilities

Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy agreed on Friday to develop joint drone strike capabilities, their defence ministers said after meeting in the southern Polish city of Kraków.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, Italian Undersecretary of Defence Isabella Rauti, France’s Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, and UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard.Photo: PAP/Art Service 2

The five countries, which form the so-called E5 group, pledged to pursue low-cost joint production and shared procurement of drone munitions, known as effectors.

Poland’s Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told a news conference that the rapidly changing nature of warfare demanded „a swift and accurate response.”

„Our main task is to be so strong that no one ever considers attacking EU member states,” he said.

The ministers also reaffirmed continued support for Ukraine and their commitment to NATO defence programmes, including a pledge to meet a target of spending 5 percent of GDP on defence, agreed last year at the alliance’s summit in The Hague.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said Europe was ready to take shared responsibility for security across the Euro-Atlantic area.

The talks covered deterrence, hybrid threats and broader European defence cooperation, Polish state news agency PAP reported.

The E5 group is an informal platform bringing together the five European countries that spend the most on defence.

Friday’s meeting, hosted by Kosiniak-Kamysz, was attended by France’s Catherine Vautrin, Germany’s Boris Pistorius, Britain’s Luke Pollard and Italy’s Isabella Rauti.

Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov joined by videoconference. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas and NATO Deputy Secretary-General Radmila Shekerinska also attended.

(ał/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP

Radio Poland