Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk says the ministry will replace peacetime visual identification with positive identification for aircraft engaging targets from Russia.
Poland's Ministry of National Defense will revise its rules of engagement for Russian missiles and drones entering Polish airspace, Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk announced. The change, expected within days, replaces the peacetime requirement for visual identification with "positive identification" for Polish fighter jets and helicopters engaging objects approaching from the direction of Russia.
The current procedure requires pilots to visually confirm a target before firing, a process suited for peacetime but potentially too slow for modern missile and drone threats. Positive identification allows engagement based on sensor data and tracking without visual confirmation, significantly reducing response times.
The move comes amid repeated violations of Polish airspace by Russian cruise missiles and drones launched at Ukraine, including incidents where projectiles crossed into NATO territory. Poland has scrambled fighters multiple times but has not fired on the intruders under existing rules. NATO allies have also responded, with Czech Gripen jets deploying to monitor the border region under alliance command following increased Russian drone activity over western Ukraine.
The ministry said the updated procedures aim to close gaps in air defense coordination with allied forces operating in the region and to ensure a more effective response to airborne threats originating from Russian territory. Tomczyk did not specify the exact technical parameters of the new protocol.
https://t.me/ukraina_polsha/10382