Poland Has Changed Its Rules For Shooting Down Aerial Targets
- 1.10.2026, 7:37
New rules for military personnel took effect on October 1.
Starting October 1, Poland is introducing new procedures for identifying and destroying hostile aerial objects in its airspace. These procedures will allow the military to decide to shoot down a target without requiring visual identification.
This was reported by Polskie Radio.
According to Poland’s Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the new procedures have already been drafted, and the Polish Army has begun implementing them.
The report on the readiness of the new rules was submitted to the minister by the Commander of the Polish Armed Forces, General Irenaeusz Nowak.
Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that no legislative changes are required to modify the procedures. The new rules are being introduced at the army level and will define the procedures for pilots and military personnel involved in air defense.
How the procedure for destroying targets will change
The main change concerns the identification of aerial objects. Previously, to confirm a threat, a Polish fighter jet had to approach the target and visually identify it.
Now, instead of mandatory visual contact, so-called positive identification will be used. Decisions to engage an aerial target can be made based on data from radars and other systems, as well as information received from the Ukrainian side.
Thus, a pilot or operational commander will not be required to approach the object to obtain visual confirmation of its type. The totality of available data may serve as the basis for assessing the threat.
Earlier, Poland’s Deputy Minister of Defense Cezary Tomczyk explained that the transition to positive identification would allow the military to use, in particular, radar data, information about the object’s location within a no-fly zone, and intelligence from the Ukrainian side.
Why Poland Changed the Rules
The Polish Ministry of Defense attributes the changes to the ongoing threat of drones and other aerial objects entering the country’s territory during Russian attacks on Ukraine.
The previous procedure was designed primarily for peacetime. Mandatory visual identification is intended, in particular, to reduce the risk of accidentally shooting down a civilian aircraft or other air vessel.
At the same time, the Polish Ministry of Defense notes that the current situation requires a faster response to airborne threats.
Poland has already stated that the new rules will apply not only to fighter jets but also to helicopters. The military can use modern systems to identify targets without having to approach them at a dangerous distance.