Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly important role in the Polish armed forces, from intelligence data analysis to protection against cyberattacks. A military implementation centre that has been operating for the past year has already completed its first projects combining the capabilities of the armed forces, science and industry. Cooperation between these three areas is seen as essential if Poland is to build its own technological capabilities.
“The Artificial Intelligence Implementation Centre began operating last year. Since then, we have launched cooperation within a technology hub bringing together industry, science and the military. Our ambition is to connect these three communities and strengthen the armed forces’ ability to deploy artificial intelligence. In this area, we are working closely with suppliers of equipment and platforms for the military so that these modern systems can be expanded with AI components,” Colonel Piotr Turek, head of the Artificial Intelligence Implementation Centre at the Cyber Defence Forces Component Command of the Ministry of National Defence, said.
The centre, which has now been active for a year, is responsible for developing and implementing AI solutions in key areas of the Polish Armed Forces’ operations, including intelligence and reconnaissance analysis, command support and cybersecurity. The projects developed within the centre are implementation-oriented and are tested in conditions close to real operational environments. Their purpose is to move quickly from the research stage to practical military use, in close cooperation with research institutes and industrial partners.
“We have completed our first pilot projects with Polish science, especially research institutes, for example the IDEAS Research Institute. Together, we managed to deliver five projects. One focused on building situational awareness on the battlefield, while the other four concerned strengthening cybersecurity through the use of artificial intelligence. We also work closely with our NATO partners and allies,” Turek said.
The development of AI projects in the military fits into a broader trend of closer cooperation between the civilian and defence sectors. In Poland, parts of this ecosystem are already taking shape, including NATO’s DIANA accelerator in Kraków, which connects science, start-ups and the military in the development of dual-use technologies that can serve both security and the wider economy.
Solutions developed in this model are finding direct use in operations. On the modern battlefield, the rapid fusion and analysis of data from multiple sources, including reconnaissance systems and sensors, is critical. AI-based systems make it possible to turn these streams of information into a coherent operational picture and support faster and better decision-making.
“We have created an AI Project Incubator, where our engineers build solutions from scratch. Our goal is also to achieve technological autonomy in artificial intelligence, so that in critical areas such as command support our armed forces remain autonomous and capable of using technologies provided by Polish industry, Polish science and also the solutions created within our own Cyber Defence Forces teams,” Turek said.
The development of domestic technological solutions is intended to reduce dependence on external suppliers in key areas of national security. In command systems and cyber defence, this means greater control over data and algorithms, as well as faster adaptation of tools to operational needs.
“The area of cybersecurity was recognised by NATO after the 2016 summit as another operational domain, alongside land, air, sea and space. How important this domain is has become even clearer during Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine,” the head of the Artificial Intelligence Implementation Centre said.
As he added, since the start of the full-scale invasion, the number of cyberattacks targeting military networks and IT systems in Poland has increased around fivefold. Critical infrastructure and state systems, on which the economy and public administration depend, are increasingly becoming targets as well.
“As the Polish Armed Forces, we are responsible for the defence sector, but we also cooperate with other CSIRTs that deal with threats affecting industry, science and public administration. This combined effort means that we cover the whole of Polish cyberspace. Our response is 24/7 threat mitigation. Our specialists, working in dedicated cybersecurity teams, continuously neutralise the most serious threats from the perspective of national security. Importantly, we also use artificial intelligence tools to defend our cyberspace,” Turek said.
International cooperation also plays an important role in building cyber defence capabilities. On 12 January this year, the Cyber Defence Forces Component Command signed a letter of intent on partnership with United States Armed Forces in Europe, creating a framework for cooperation in strengthening capabilities, coordinating activities in cyberspace and preparing responses to increasingly complex digital threats. Within NATO, joint activities, exercises and exchanges of experience and technology are also under way to improve responses to cross-border threats.
“The Cyber Defence Forces Component Command has signed agreements, among others, with cyber defence centres in the United States. We carry out joint activities and exchange experience and technology, including in critical areas where events may become interconnected. We act together with our allies to defend NATO cyberspace,” Turek stressed.
