Poland loosens rules for shooting down foreign aircraft

Poland will permit fighter and helicopter pilots to shoot down foreign aircraft under special wartime defense measures.

Poland is adjusting its air force's rules of engagement for foreign aircraft. Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk announced on X on 28/9 that this decision came after operational commander Ireneusz Nowak reassessed recent developments.

The updated rules will empower pilots and operational commanders to decide on shooting down foreign aircraft using radar data and other system-provided information, enabling engagement at significantly longer ranges. "We will no longer need to conduct a visual identification procedure before engaging targets", Tomczyk wrote. "Sufficient grounds for positive identification (PID) will be enough to open fire."

Tomczyk clarified that positive identification would only be implemented when Poland is in a state of war or under martial law. This change is partly a response to the daily risk of drone incursions into Polish territory. "We cannot remain passive in the face of these threats, and current indicators suggest these threats will only escalate", Tomczyk stated.

Poland's Deputy Minister of National Defense Cezary Tomczyk speaks in Deblin on 28/9. *PAP*

Earlier in september, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned of the "real risk" of Russian drones and missiles landing in the territory of countries supporting Ukraine, including Poland. "Such incidents are likely to cause damage, but Russia could claim they are merely accidents", he added.

Since the conflict began, both Russian and Ukrainian missiles have strayed into Polish airspace on several occasions. Some Russian cruise missiles have also briefly traversed Polish skies while targeting western Ukraine.

Visual identification is typically used during peacetime to prevent civilian or allied aircraft from being mistakenly identified as hostile targets. In contrast, positive identification relies on a combination of data to determine the nature of a target with high certainty. This information includes: flight direction, speed, altitude, flight path, and the transmission of valid identification signals.