Poland, France Advance Cruise-Missile and Naval Cooperation as Warsaw’s Regional Clout Grows

Poland and France are stepping up cooperation on long-range cruise missiles and naval modernization amid a broad strategic agreement reached this spring. The latest talks are focused on integrating European cruise-missile solutions – derived from France’s MdCN/SCALP naval family – into Poland’s future surface and subsea fleets, while the French Navy Group is focused on advancing options in the ORKA submarine program led by competing European shipyards.

What’s on the table

Polish and French officials have highlighted cruise-missile cooperation in several forums over the past year, including a letter of intent from four nations – France, Germany, Italy and Poland – to develop long-range cruise missiles with a range of more than 500 km, which is expected to be discussed at the 2024 NATO summit. is. was unveiled at the same time. French industry has prepared a route anchored by Paris in the naval MdCN line already deployed at sea, with scope for diversity and technology sharing.

On the naval side, Warsaw continues to advance the ORKA submarine. The need, evaluating options including French Scorpene-class boats with sea-launched cruise missiles. A visit to Toulon in July by Poland’s deputy defense minister focused on missile integration and potential industrial cooperation – signs that Poland wants deep strike from underwater platforms and a meaningful role for its shipyards.

French-built Scorpene-class submarine S40 Riachuelo Brazilian Navy. (Brazilian Navy)

New Strategic Framework

A Franco-Polish strategic agreement signed in May committed the two countries to closer cooperation in defense and other areas — an institutional backdrop for program-level moves on strike and naval capabilities. The agreement comes as Europe seeks to narrow the gap in long-range conventional strikes, an area where the Ukraine war has shown allies’ reserves and industrial capacity are shrinking. As Germany’s Boris Pistorius said in 2024, “Precision strike weapons are a serious capability gap in deep Europe.”

Russia as a catalyst

Poland’s defense posture – and the pace of its military expansion – cannot be separated from the trajectory of Russian foreign policy. Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 fundamentally changed Warsaw’s strategic calculus, shifting defense planning from gradual modernization to urgent capability acquisition. Beyond Ukraine, Russia’s continued investment in new missile systems, its militarization of Kaliningrad, and its growing naval presence in the Baltic Sea have reinforced Warsaw’s sense of vulnerability.

For Polish policymakers, these actions confirm that deterrence on NATO’s eastern flank must be based on credible, highly-prepared forces with both defensive and offensive reach. The acquisition of long-range cruise missiles, especially those that can be deployed from stealthier naval platforms, is seen as essential to keeping key Russian military assets and infrastructure at risk in the event of aggression. In this sense, Russia’s coercive diplomatic and The use of force has directly determined the scope, urgency and direction of Poland’s defence spending. Increases.

Storm Shadow is a Franco-British low-observable, long-range air-launched cruise missile developed by Matra and British Aerospace in 1994, now manufactured by MBDA. Known as Storm Shadow in the UK, it is called SCALP-EG in France.

Why it matters: Poland’s emergence as a regional military heavyweight

Poland has moved from incremental modernisation to all-domain buildup, targeting 4.7% of GDP for defence this year—the highest share in NATO—and establishing 4% as a constitutional floor is moving towards. That spending underwrites extensive rearmament: Patriots and F-35s from the U.S., large-scale South Korean land-combat purchases (K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, Homer-K/Chunmu MLRS), and increased naval ambitions. In late July, Warsaw also secured a new $4 billion U.S. loan guarantee to maintain the pace of modernization.

Operational payments. Long-range cruise missiles, along with capable submarines and surface combatants, will add a viable conventional deterrent to Poland’s warfighting system, complementing integrated air and missile defenses and expanding options for coalition strike packages. For Europe, Poland’s participation brings scale, urgency, and an eastward operational focus to long-range strike initiatives that have often progressed slowly in peacetime.

Risks, frictions and what to watch

Industrial balance and timeline. Poland’s rapid procurement pace does not match the European development cycle. Cruise-missile cooperation can rely on a reliable near-term baseline (e.g., the MdCN family) while next-generation designs mature – a trade-off between speed and sovereignty.
Exportability and integration. The availability of specific naval strike missiles for export – and their integration into the Polish launch architecture – remains a viable entry point. Keep an eye on formal decisions on missile type, vertical-launch interface and workshare for PGZ and local yards.
Competitive offers. ORKA still has German and Italian bids; how far Paris advances on technology transfer and schedule could determine the competition as much as unit price.

Key points

France-Poland cooperation on cruise missiles and naval programs is moving from diplomatic framing to concrete options. If Warsaw stands in the way of a long-range sea attack with new submarines and upgraded surface combatants, it will prevent Poland from transforming into a regional power with a credible deep strike reach. That transformation has been accelerated, and in many ways, determined, by Russia’s foreign policy – leaving Warsaw determined to ensure that Poland will be fully prepared to respond in the next crisis on NATO’s eastern shores.

FAQs: People Also Ask

Q1: Why is Poland working with France on cruise missiles?

Poland wants a strong long-range strike force to counter the threat from Russia. By teaming up with France, Poland can use the MdCN/SCALP missile family, which is already in service on ships and submarines. This would allow Poland to quickly add modern sea-launched missiles instead of waiting years for a new design.

Q2: How does the ORKA submarine program fit into Poland’s plans?

The ORKA program is Poland’s attempt to buy new submarines. France is offering its Scorpion-class submarines that can fire cruise missiles. Poland is looking at how these submarines can work with local shipyards, giving them both the ability to strike under the sea and more jobs at home. Germany and Italy are also in the race, so the competition is tough.

Q3: Why is this important for NATO and Europe?

Poland spends more than 4% of its GDP on defense – the highest in NATO. This makes it a growing military heavyweight in Europe. The war in Ukraine, Russia’s build-up in Kaliningrad and new missile systems have forced Warsaw to act quickly. Long-range cruise missiles and a strong navy are now trending topics in global defense talks, especially ahead of major NATO summits where Europe’s precision-strike capabilities are a hot topic.