Poland receives first Gladius UAS battery
Each Gladius battery consists of nine UAVs. (Photo: WB Group)
The Polish-designed and manufactured system comprises two WB Group platforms, the FT-5 UAV, which will be used in an ISR capability and the BSP-U, an unknown platform with visual similarities to the Warmate 2.
The Polish Armed Forces has received the first elements of the Gladius reconnaissance and attack UAS just 19 months after the contract was signed with WB Group and a year after initial systems were delivered to support training and faster introduction into service.
The PLN2 billion (US$508.6 million) contract for the delivery of four Gladius battery modules of unmanned search and strike systems, along with a training and logistics package, was signed on 6 May 2022.
On 15 December 2022 the first elements of the Gladius system were delivered to the Polish Armed Forces including two UAV launchers and two Gladius training UAVs.
The system has been built around the FT-5 UAV and each battery has included four UAV BSP-U attack UAVs, five FT-5 reconnaissance UAVs, five launchers, two command vehicles and three ammunition carriers. The vehicle supporting the batteries will be the Waran 4x4 vehicle.
Under the contract the logistics package included the supply of maintenance kits and maintenance services for UAV and the training package, in addition to the training of the soldiers, including training UAVs and system simulators.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
![CAVS rolls on as Denmark orders 129 vehicles]()
CAVS rolls on as Denmark orders 129 vehicles
Denmark signed the Technical Arrangement for the multinational Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) in April this year. The order means the country will receive its first vehicle this year.
-
![MyDefence delivers counter-drone system to US Army ahead of livefire exercise]()
MyDefence delivers counter-drone system to US Army ahead of livefire exercise
The Soldier-Kit system consists of detector, jammer, tablet and wideband antenna and is being evaluated as part of Project Flytrap 3.0 counter uncrewed aerial system (CUAS) exercise.
-
![Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation]()
Czech CAESAR howitzer order at risk of cancellation
The Czech Republic ordered 52 CAmion Equipé d’un Système d’ARtillerie (CAESAR) self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) in 2021 and added another 10 a year later. A cancellation of the programme would impact both the army’s capabilities and local industry which is involved in the manufacture.
-
![Sweden turns to Nammo and Rheinmetall as world demand grows for 155mm shells]()
Sweden turns to Nammo and Rheinmetall as world demand grows for 155mm shells
Demand for ammunition continues to increase with manufacturing capability growing to match. Sweden have turned to the two supply lines of Rheinmetall and Nammo as part of a Nordic effort to meet demand. The Polish Government has also announced a US$700 million investment to boost manufacture of munitions.
-
![Contract moves new Abrams tank forward in the face of cuts]()
Contract moves new Abrams tank forward in the face of cuts
Several US Army vehicle programmes were axed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s plans to transform the US Army, as outlined in the Letter to the Force: Army Transformation Initiative document. However, the new generation Abrams M1E3 main battle tank (MBT) was singled out for survival. But what will it look like?
