Kongsberg to build counter-drone factory in Poland
Kongsberg will build a factory in Poland to manufacture and maintain systems against unmanned aerial vehicles. The PLN 200 million investment is expected to create more than 100 jobs, with serial production set to start in the first half of 2028.
The facility will manufacture and maintain Kongsberg’s counter-unmanned aerial systems (CUAS) for Poland’s SAN programme, according to a press release from the Norwegian defence and technology group. It will be built in the Pomeranian region, close to the Tri-City area of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. The exact location has not been disclosed.
The investment amounts to more than PLN 200 million, or around EUR 45 million, and the plant is expected to employ more than 100 people once it reaches full capacity. Kongsberg plans to sign the construction contract before the end of the year and to start building immediately afterwards.
“The new facility will support Polish industry and defence capabilities and strengthen KONGSBERG’s presence in Poland. The facility will be an integrated part of KONGSBERG’s global manufacturing network, to serve Poland and other future European customers,” said Eirik Lie, President and CEO of Kongsberg.
The factory follows the contract that Kongsberg and its consortium partner, the Polish state-owned defence group PGZ, signed with the Polish Armaments Agency earlier this year for counter-drone systems to protect the country against drone threats. Kongsberg has been present in Poland for more than 15 years and has, among other things, set up a sustainment centre for the Naval Strike Missile at WZE.
Kongsberg has not said which components or subsystems will be produced at the plant, or how much of its output is intended for customers outside Poland.