On 27 May 2026 the UK and Poland signed the Security and Defence Partnership Treaty. As part of our implementation of the Treaty, they agreed to deliver a range of priority projects. These projects span the breadth of the Treaty focusing on making the UK and Poland safer and stronger, demonstrating a step change in our ability to counter threats to our security, including not only closer collaboration on defence capability and military interoperability, but also bolstering our economic and energy security and securing our borders.
1. Developing together the weapons of the future
Building on a strong bilateral partnership in air defence and high-tech weapons, the UK and Poland will become joint European leaders on the manufacture and development of the next generation of missiles. The UK and Poland will work to jointly increase our capabilities, across air-to-air, ground-based air defence and land arenas.
2. Deepening our defence industrial co-operation
To complement our work on the development of technically advanced weapons, the UK and Poland will work together to strengthen ties between our defence industries, promoting defence education, training and workforce mobility to build shared expertise. This will also enhance coordination on defence procurement to support joint capability planning, improve NATO interoperability and build industrial resilience and support third‑country exports. UK and Polish defence industrial partners will expand large-calibre ammunition production capacity and capability, supported by government-enabled collaboration between industries to facilitate knowledge and technology transfer and strengthen supply chain resilience.
3. Working together to strengthen Europe’s eastern flank against the threat from Russia
Through a Strategic Land Partnership, the UK and Poland will maximise the ability of UK and Polish Forward Land Forces to deliver a credible deterrent across Eastern Europe. Large-scale exercises will strengthen interoperability, focusing on counter-drone warfare, electronic warfare, and missile defence. By working together on the development of integrated doctrines we will ensure both nations remain ready to respond to the conflicts of the future.
4. Protecting our seas and collaborating on maritime security
Focusing on sea co-operation in the North Sea and Baltic Sea, this project will improve our analysis and monitoring of the security situation in our seas and help us to work together to safeguard vital lines of communication in the sea and further enhance operational agility and deterrence to protect people in the UK and Poland. The project also supports the modernisation of our capabilities through joint training for next‑generation frigate crews and cooperation on air defence missile procurement. We will continue to promote further co-operation and co-ordination between our Joint Maritime Security Centres to complement ongoing collaboration with other countries to ensure critical infrastructure in the North Sea and Baltic Sea is kept safe.
5. Protecting the UK and Poland from cyber attacks
The UK and Poland have both witnessed an increase in cyber-attacks from criminal and hostile state actors. We will work together on two fronts on defensive cyber through our respective militaries, focusing on achieving mutual goals, protecting common interests, and responding effectively to the growing threats in the cyber domain. We will also work across civilian agencies sharing approaches on cyber deterrence, attributions of hostile activity and cyber sanctions and responses.
6. Co-ordination on sanctions policy
As a key part of providing an economic deterrence for those who threaten our mutual security, the UK and Poland are working to strengthen co-ordination on our sanctions implementation and enforcement. This includes embedding stronger joint working practices and deepening cooperation on sanctions in areas such as, in particular, Russian aggression against Ukraine, other overlapping EU and UK sanctions regimes, combatting the shadow fleet, promoting freedom of navigation and irregular migration sanctions.
7. Countering hybrid threats
The UK and Poland are facing increasing hybrid threats from states, especially Russia. A new comprehensive counter-Hybrid threats cooperation agreement will enable the UK and Poland to more proactively disrupt malign actions and support our common objective of more proactive disruption and raising the cost of action for Russia. A UK-Poland Counter-Hybrid Working Group will coordinate joint working to raise the costs for hostile states seeking to undermine our security through hybrid activity.
8. Countering foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI)
The online space also provides scope for hostile states to propagate false information, but also to distort truthful information by taking it out of context and presenting it in a way that reinforces divisions that threaten democratic processes. The UK and Poland will lead efforts to protect democratic discourse and strengthen resilience against information warfare. This includes joint campaigns to expose and disrupt the networks manipulating our information spaces and co-ordinated efforts to build resilience in third countries through capacity-building.
9. Countering the malign use of drones by criminals and hostile state actors
The UK and Poland will create a task force to counter the growing threat posed by hostile drone use, particularly in light of technological advances and the lessons we have learnt from drone use in the Ukraine conflict. Led by relevant institutions, the task force will bring together civil agencies from the UK and Poland to share operational expertise, jointly develop detection and mitigation tools and accelerate deployment of novel technologies.
10. Joint action plan on irregular migration
We will implement a comprehensive Joint Action Plan to step up action against people smuggling and irregular migration. The Joint Action Plan will create a bilateral framework to
- work collaboratively with European and regional partners to tackle the migrant smuggling networks, including their use of social media as a key enabler
- maximise intelligence sharing and enhance diplomatic efforts on irregular migration upstream
- exchange the latest techniques, making the most of new technologies, to monitor borders and deter irregular migration to the UK and Poland
11. Closer collaboration on science and tech
The UK and Poland Treaty will drive secure and resilient economic growth by deepening collaboration on key technologies, supporting research and development with dual-use applications and deepening our institutional relationships. Our science and technology cooperation will be foundational to the growing industries that support the economic security and defence of our two countries.
We will advance British-Polish cooperation across science and technology, including by establishing a dialogue on the geopolitics of digital technologies to strengthen alignment and inform our strategic approach. We will enhance collaboration across quantum research by identifying fields of work we are both working on and promoting joint funding opportunities to accelerate innovation. Acknowledging the growing importance of space for defence and resilience, we will also advance cooperation on space-related matters, including through ESA and engagement between our respective space agencies, while supporting the growth of our space sectors.
12. Taking action to protect health security in the UK and Poland
Recognising healthcare as a pillar of national security and the growing Poland-UK health partnership, both countries will focus their cooperation on three core areas
Health dialogue A new Poland-UK health dialogue will be established, covering topics such as healthcare planning and resilience; antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and conflict; chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats; medical evacuations; and the treatment and care of war-wounded persons.
Cyber security Joint exchanges will facilitate the sharing of best practices in protecting health services from cyber attacks. This supports Poland and UK ambitions to secure critical infrastructure, improve resilience, and develop stronger partnerships with trusted allies.
Digital health (e-health) Visits and knowledge-sharing on telemedicine, data interoperability and digital inclusion will help modernise government services and improve patient access.
13. Joining forces to protect our energy security and accelerate the clean energy transition
It is clear that across the whole of Europe we face common challenges and opportunities in delivering clean energy transition whilst bolstering competitiveness strengthening energy security. In the context of today’s global energy crisis and rising geopolitical risk, closer UK–Poland cooperation on affordable, clean, and resilient energy is both timely and strategic, as the link between national security and energy security is clearer now more than ever.
As we face the second fossil fuel shock in less than five years, the UK and Poland recognise that a diverse, clean energy system is vital to lasting energy security. This package of activity aligns with both the UK and Poland’s priorities looking ahead to the long term.
The UK and Poland will bring together government and industry to collaborate on innovative new technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture through shared policy expertise and study visits. We will also deepen cooperation in other areas, recognising the role of modern, flexible grids and energy storage in making both countries’ power systems more resilient to shocks and support renewable energy integration, as well as innovative opportunities to decarbonise heating our homes – one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise.
14. Deepening links between our diplomatic services
In addition to our existing co-operation on the joint training of our diplomats, we propose to create an established system of mutual attachments in both countries to share policy knowledge and promote our mutual understanding of how our systems work. This reflects our ever-closer foreign policy relationship.
