Poland plans to establish a space command

The planned changes were outlined by Lieutenant General Krzysztof Król, the Chief of the General Staff’s representative for the development of Poland’s wartime command system, in an interview with Defence24.pl Editor-in-Chief Jędrzej Graf. As he stressed, the development of space capabilities is essential for conducting modern multidomain operations.

“Alongside the commands responsible for conventional domains, we will recommend the establishment of a Space Operations and Environmental Support Command. Rapidly expanding military capabilities in the space domain, as well as civilian capabilities, require an adequate approach to their management, protection, and defence, while also ensuring operational effects for the Joint Forces Commander,” General Król said.

But their establishment is only one element of a broader reform of the command and control system of the Polish Armed Forces. The reform aims to create flexible structures capable of operating in peacetime, crisis, and war without requiring a fundamental reorganisation once a conflict begins.

Overall, the reform envisages the creation of three major commands for the Land Forces, Air Force, and Navy. They would be coordinated by a Joint Forces Command established based on the current Armed Forces Operational Command. Additional structures would also be created for the remaining operational domains and other areas essential to military operations.

One of them would be the Space Operations Command. General Król underlined that space capabilities should not be treated as a separate technological field, but as the enabler of multidomain operations. “Without the space domain providing intelligence, weather and geospatial data, as well as communications, it will not be possible to conduct multidomain operations,” he said.

These plans reflect the accelerating development of Poland’s space capabilities. The country is acquiring new reconnaissance satellites, developing secure satellite communications, strengthening space situational awareness, and investing in both national and allied space infrastructure. This year, Poland also established its Space Operations Centre to effectively manage and coordinate the operational use of its growing portfolio of orbital assets.

These assets include, in particular, reconnaissance and Earth observation satellites. The Polish military currently operates four synthetic aperture radar satellites developed by ICEYE under the MikroSAR programme, as well as an optical satellite built by Creotech Instruments as the first element of the MikroGlob system. The Polish Armed Forces also use observation nanosatellites developed under the PIAST project. Meanwhile, preparations are underway for the POLEOS system, whose high-resolution optical satellites are being built by Airbus Defence and Space.

Developing national space capabilities, however, involves far more than simply placing satellites in orbit. Poland must also be able to task them effectively, rapidly process and integrate the data they collect, ensure the continuity and resilience of its space systems, and respond to threats emerging in the domain.

This is precisely why Warsaw is expanding the structures responsible for conducting space operations, which will culminate in the establishment of a fully fledged national space command. This will also strengthen Poland’s ability to cooperate with NATO allies, particularly since the Alliance recognised space as an operational domain in 2019.

The reform will still require legislative changes. According to General Król, the draft amendment to the Homeland Defence Act is nearing completion, with parliamentary debate expected to begin after the summer recess. The final shape of the new structures, including the responsibilities of the future Space Operations Command, will depend on the legislative process and subsequent political decisions. If everything proceeds smoothly, the new command structure could begin taking shape in 2027.