An unauthorised drone flight was detected near the US Aegis Ashore missile defence base in Redzikowo, Poland. According to the Polish Ministry of Defence, the drone remained approximately 500 metres from the facility for around five minutes and violated a no-fly zone. The Polish military reported the incident to the relevant authorities, including the police — Onet reports that one of the calls was made to the general emergency number 112.
• The drone was spotted approximately 500 metres from the US Aegis Ashore base in Redzikovo.
• The flight lasted about five minutes and took place in an area where drones are prohibited.
• The Polish Ministry of Defence states that the drone was a civilian aircraft and posed no threat to the base.
• The soldiers identified the location from which the operator was directing him.
• The incident was reported to the police; according to Onet, the military unit called 112.
A drone appeared near the base on 15 September
The incident occurred On 15 September, in the afternoon. Polish military detection systems have detected an unauthorised drone near the US missile defence facility in Redzikowo.
According to the Polish Ministry of Defence, the drone was approximately half a kilometre from the base, and his flight lasted about five minutes.
At the same time, the Polish Ministry of Defence clarified that the drone did not fly directly over the base’s territory. He entered a restricted zone where civilian drones are prohibited from flying.
Onet: Soldiers rang 112
The reaction of the military raised the most questions in the Polish media. According to Onet, instead of immediately destroying or forcing the drone to land, the unit guarding the base, reported the incident to the emergency services, in particular via the 112 emergency number.
The Polish Ministry of Defence stated that this was in line with current procedures: the relevant authorities, including the police, were informed of the presence of an unauthorised drone.
The agency did not disclose whether the following were used during the incident electronic warfare systems or anti-drone systems.
The Polish Ministry of Defence says the drone was a civilian one
Following the publicity, the Polish Ministry of Defence issued a clarification. According to reports, the drone was civilian, did not pose an immediate threat to the base and remained under the surveillance of military air defence systems throughout the flight.
The military also managed to pinpoint the location from which the drone operator was controlling the aircraft. As of 22 September, there was no public information regarding the operator’s arrest or the seizure of the drone.
Why is the base in Redzikovo so important?
Aegis Ashore The Redzikovo site is one of the key elements of NATO’s missile defence system in Europe.
The base became operational in 2024 and is capable of detecting, tracking and intercepting short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. It forms part of a wider NATO system, alongside a similar facility in Romania, US Aegis ships in Spain and an early-warning radar in Turkey.
That is precisely why any unauthorised drone activity near Redzikowo is regarded by the Polish side as an incident involving one of the country’s most sensitive military sites.
The incident has once again raised the issue of protection against drones
Onet notes that the incident in Redzikowo has once again drawn attention to the Polish army’s capabilities in countering small drones near strategic sites.
In recent years, Poland has been actively developing its anti-drone capabilities, and in September it conducted large-scale Dron-26 exercises to practise responding to incidents involving UAVs. However, in the case of Redzikowo, the Ministry of Defence insists that the drone posed no direct threat and that the situation remained under the military’s control at all times.
