Poland to Create Space Operations Command in Sweeping Armed Forces Reform

Poland plans to establish a dedicated Space Operations and Environmental Support Command as part of a broad overhaul of the Polish Armed Forces' command and control system. The proposal, outlined by Lieutenant General Krzysztof Król, would embed space capabilities within a new wartime command structure designed to operate seamlessly across peacetime, crisis, and war.

The command is one element of a wider reform intended to create flexible structures that do not require fundamental reorganisation once a conflict begins. General Król, the Chief of the General Staff's representative for the development of Poland's wartime command system, described the effort in an interview with Defence24.pl. He stressed that the development of space capabilities is essential for conducting modern multidomain operations.

The reform envisages three major commands for the Land Forces, Air Force, and Navy, coordinated by a Joint Forces Command built on the current Armed Forces Operational Command. Additional structures would be created for the remaining operational domains, including space. "Alongside the commands responsible for conventional domains, we will recommend the establishment of a Space Operations and Environmental Support Command," General Król said, citing the need for adequate management, protection, and defence of expanding military and civilian space capabilities.

General Król underlined that space should not be treated as a separate technological field but as an 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. This year, Poland established a Space Operations Centre to coordinate the operational use of its growing portfolio of orbital assets.

Those assets include four synthetic aperture radar satellites developed by ICEYE under the MikroSAR programme, an optical satellite built by Creotech Instruments as the first element of the MikroGlob system, and observation nanosatellites developed under the PIAST project. Preparations are also underway for the POLEOS system, whose high-resolution optical satellites are being built by Airbus Defence and Space. Poland must be able to task these satellites effectively, rapidly process and integrate the data they collect, ensure the resilience of its space systems, and respond to threats in the domain.

According to General Król, establishing the command will strengthen Poland's ability to cooperate with NATO allies, particularly since the Alliance recognised space as an operational domain in 2019. The expansion of structures responsible for conducting space operations is intended to culminate in a fully fledged national space command.

The reform will require legislative changes. General Król said 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 the process proceeds smoothly, the new command structure could begin taking shape in 2027.