These are Polish projects. The best drones for national defence

·30 December 2024

Their design was made by students from Polish universities as part of a competition to develop a concept and realise a project for unmanned air, land or sea systems for defence and national security applications. Awards for the best unmanned aircraft were presented on 17 December at the Military University of Technology.

The competition was announced by the Ministry of Defence. Fifty-eight teams participated and 25 projects qualified for the implementation stage. The competition was organised with the participation of four universities: Military Academy of Technology, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and Land Forces Academy. Students and doctoral students from these universities submitted entries individually or in teams. In the first stage, they presented a concept for a BSP, BSL or BSM in the chosen category: reconnaissance, combat and support, together with a cost estimate for its further development. Authors of projects qualified in the first stage received up to PLN 70,000 for their implementation.

Drones, unmanned air, water and land systems are the future of the modern battlefield. Just a few years ago, many of us did not think that such systems could be created, which are now real, needed, implemented and used, ‘ said Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Defence Stanisław Wziątek, who was present at the ceremony.

In the category of unmanned reconnaissance systems, the best projects were identified in terms of their ability to detect, recognise and track an object, their ability to monitor and control an area of interest, for example, a border or a coastal zone.

First place ex aequo was awarded to the projects:

Airborne Reconnaissance System: HAWKEYE, authored by Platoon Cadet Mateusz Krochmalski from the Airborne Military Academy;
Unmanned underwater vessel detection system: NARLUGA from the Naval Academy, authors: 2nd Lt. Mar. Daniel Powarzyński, M.Sc., project supervisor, Bartosz Łarzewski, M.Sc.

2nd place:

SHAD unmanned marine system for surveying, searching and observing the underwater environment from the Naval Academy in Gdynia, authors: Jakub Tkaczyk – leader, Maciej Tyszecki.

Third place ex aequo:

KELPIE unmanned maritime reconnaissance system from the Military University of Technology, authors: Szymon Kępniak – leader, Michał Kurowski;
Unmanned Aerial System – PL-SĘP – from the Military University of Technology, authors: Lieutenant M.Sc. Adrian Kapski – leader, Sergeant Cadet Bartłomiej Firlej, Platoon Cadet. Kacper Chwaszcz, st. cpl. cadet. Szymon Płatek

In the category of unmanned combat systems, on the other hand, the projects with the best potential in terms of their ability to carry and use combat assets and their ability to detect, recognise and attack a designated target, as well as combat unmanned systems, were awarded. Award recipients:

1st place ex aequo:

BRACHIUM BELLI unmanned maritime system project from the Naval Academy, authors: bsmt. pchor. Maciej Młynarski – leader, Lt. mar. Łukasz Paziewski, bsmt. pchor. Piotr Zieliński;
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle for Combat and Intelligence Operations WRONA from the Military University of Technology, authors: Kosma Skajewski – leader, Stanisław Wielgosz.

Second place ex aequo:

Concept for the construction of the ‘Deimos’ intelligent minefield system using ‘DEIMOS’ autonomous mobile platforms from the Land Forces Academy, authors: Kacper Zarzecki – leader, Alan Kasperczak, Robert Strzoda, Cpl. cadet Maciej Drzażdżewski, Jakub Wiśniewski;
SCYLLA unmanned combat system from the Military University of Technology, authors: Maja Walasik – leader, Bartłomiej Kryński.

Third place ex aequo:

Warrior Wing multipurpose combat flying system for surveillance and support operations with limited detection in radio bands and thermal imaging from the Military University of Technology, by Jakub Kołodziej, Eng;
Concept of an unmanned waterborne system performing tasks of reconnaissance and destruction of surface engineering objects ‘KACZKA’ from the Academy of Land Forces, authors: Pvt. Wiktoria Plewka – leader, Jakub Wiśniewski, szer. pchor. Stanisław Kubik, Maciej Dżadżewski.

Awards were also given in the category of unmanned support systems, i.e. for equipment that supports the ability to evacuate, supply ammunition, equipment, medical supplies and food. Awards

1st place:

Concept for the construction of the AETHER remote detection system for chemical and radiological contamination from the Academy of Land Forces, authors: Robert Strzoda – leader, Maciej Kowal, Adam Ratajczyk.

2nd place:

Unmanned Defence Robot BRO from the Military University of Technology, authors: Oskar Kokociński – leader, Sgt. Cadet Mateusz Mazur, Cpl. Cadet. Konrad Niżnik, Cpl. cadet Dominik Kępa.

3rd place:

APIS unmanned aircraft for logistic support from the Military University of Technology, authors: lieutenant Krzysztof Mazur – leader, lieutenant Rafał Wysocki, lieutenant Mikołaj Odziemek.

The winners received cash prizes for the first three places in each category – PLN 50,000, PLN 25,000 and PLN 10,000 respectively, and for the distinction PLN 5,000.

photos: Piotr Konieczny

source: Military University of Technology