Poland presents a concept of the Shahed-136 strike drone analog

3 September, 2024 Model of the Warmate 50 loitering munition. Photo credits: Defence24/Bartlomiej Wypartowicz At the International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) 2024, taking place in Kielce, Poland, local defense company WB GROUP presented its new Warmate 50 strike drone concept.

Defence24 reported on this. It is much larger than the company's previous products and, true to its name, is equipped with a 50-kilogram warhead. The Warmate 50 is an unmanned aerial vehicle designed to perform long-range strike missions.

The new model by WB GROUP will be powered by a combustion engine that will allow it to engage targets hundreds of kilometers away.

Warmate 20 long-range loitering munition. Photo credits: Militarnyi

The Warmate 50 is a development of the previous version, the Warmate 20, which we already discussed. Russian media stated that Poland is trying to create "an analog of something that has no analog," claiming that the warhead is larger than the Lancet drone is equipped with and smaller than the Shahed/Geran drone is equipped with.

The development of products in the niche of strike drones with a powerful warhead and long range is an example of solutions that are increasingly dominating the modern battlefield in Ukraine. Such solutions are gaining popularity worldwide due to their demonstrated effectiveness in the Russian-Ukrainian war. "With its powerful warhead and long range, the unmanned aircraft can significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Polish armed forces, especially in the context of precision strikes against strategic targets," Defence24 senior editor Bartlomiej Wypartowicz wrote.

Warmate drones are a family of strike UAVs that are in service with the Ukrainian Defense Forces in addition to the Polish Army.

WARMATE loitering munition.

Photo credits: WB Electronics

The latest versions of the Warmate 3 can operate without a GPS signal and autonomously homing in on a target using computer vision.

The BSP-U drone, which is derived from the Warmate drone and has a 5 kg warhead, is used as part of the Polish army's Gladius reconnaissance and strike system.