Poland Has Led The Satellite Revolution

Warsaw develops space defense against Russian Federation.

Eastern European members of NATO, which are closest to the battlefield and secretly support Ukraine against Russia, are quickly preparing for what they believe will be the Kremlin's inevitable next move: an attack on NATO.

The largest power in this category of countries is Poland, and Warsaw believes the attack will be directed against them - a perfectly reasonable assumption given the uneasy relationship between the two countries and their centuries-old mutual animosity.

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Warsaw has been trying to boost its defenses, modernize its army and invest in new capabilities that will allow it to stand up to the Russians.

Poland is leading a revolution in satellite technology

One such system that Poland is counting on is in strategic outer space. In 2023, the Polish government contracted European aerospace company Airbus to supply two military reconnaissance satellites, which are expected to enter orbit by 2027. At the end of 2024, Warsaw supplemented that order by buying four microsatellites built on Polish firm Creotech's HyperSat platform for an additional $134 million.

The Creotech microsatellites are a particularly fortunate acquisition for Warsaw. Poland is a medium-sized power with a sizable but limited defense budget. Lacking the massive capabilities of the United States, Russia, and China, middle powers should rely on cheaper microsatellites to bolster their space warfare capabilities rather than waiting for the opportunity to acquire larger and more expensive systems.

Indeed, these four Creotech microsatellites are a perfect example of how a middle power can literally jump in over its head. These systems are designed to be placed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide a reliable and uninterrupted view of all points on Earth. The satellites will be equipped with optical instruments capable of acquiring and transmitting Earth imaging data in the near-infrared and visible light bands.

Last year, the newly created Geospatial Intelligence and Satellite Services Agency began operations in Warsaw. This agency, as its name suggests, will oversee Poland's small but growing satellite capabilities. In particular, it will coordinate the use of these satellites for critical military tasks directed primarily against the Russians.

NATO will follow Poland's lead

All of these steps lead to making Poland's armed forces a more effective and powerful fighting force against Russia, which is more belligerent than ever and increasingly effective on the modern battlefield.

With Ukraine's Armed Forces in bad shape and the Trump administration questioning its commitment to Europe, jeopardizing the stability and future of Europe's current security architecture, it makes sense for Poland to expand its capabilities as much as possible.

Cosmos is the space where the wars of the future will be won. By placing a few advanced systems there, if only for the sake of situational awareness and better command and control, Warsaw gives its small army a better chance of standing up to Russia.

Brandon J. Weichert, National Interest

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