Airspace breach near the US installation

On the afternoon of 15 September 2026, military reconnaissance systems detected an unauthorized civilian unmanned aerial vehicle operating in restricted airspace near the US missile defense installation in Redzikowo, situated near Słupsk in Poland's Pomeranian Voivodeship. The unmanned aircraft flew for approximately five minutes at a distance reported between 500 meters and one kilometer from the military perimeter. Poland's Ministry of National Defence confirmed that the vehicle breached the established security zone where unmanned flights are strictly prohibited. The ministry stated that the aircraft did not operate directly above base buildings, did not approach critical or sensitive infrastructure, and was under continuous tracking by military air defense systems, which pinpointed the physical location of the drone operator.

Emergency response and standard procedures

Details of the incident emerged on the evening of 21 September 2026 after reporting by journalists Edyta Żemła and Marcin Wyrwał disclosed that the duty officer at the base responded to the airspace violation by dialling the 112 emergency telephone number. Military authorities did not shoot down or kinetically neutralize the aircraft during its five-minute flight. In response to inquiries, the Ministry of National Defence maintained that reporting the incident to civilian institutions and the police aligned with established protocols in the Polish Armed Forces. The ministry declined to disclose whether electronic jamming or dedicated anti-drone neutralization systems were activated, citing operational security regulations governing electronic warfare and base protection measures.

“In connection with information appearing in the media regarding a drone over the American base in Poland, we inform that the civilian unmanned aerial vehicle detected approximately one kilometer from the base in Redzikowo posed no threat to base facilities and was observed at all times by military air defense systems.”

Base defense structure and political debate

The Redzikowo complex constitutes an element of NATO's ballistic missile defense shield in Europe, housing approximately 200 US Navy personnel alongside long-range radar installations and launchers for SM-3 Block IIA interceptor missiles designed to counter short- and medium-range threats. External perimeter defense is the responsibility of Poland, which assigned a dedicated Base Protection Battalion to guard the installation, analogous to the sister Aegis Ashore site operating in Deveselu, Romania, since 2016. The reliance on civilian emergency dispatchers during the incident prompted public criticism from Polish lawmakers. Konfederacja member of parliament Sławomir Mentzen questioned why an 800-soldier protection battalion did not execute an immediate internal interception. Member of the European Parliament Waldemar Buda similarly challenged the effectiveness of Poland's counter-drone readiness.

“An unauthorized drone was flying over the base in Redzikowo. We have an entire protection battalion there, 800 soldiers. Their only task is to protect this base. When the drone flew in, the duty officer called 112. We maintain 800 soldiers, and they call the police. Our state is a meme.”

Sequence of official statements

Following the initial report on Monday evening, the Ministry of National Defence issued an official statement on the social media platform X on Tuesday morning, 22 September 2026, confirming the detection while emphasizing that base security was never compromised. The Słupsk Police Headquarters received formal notification of the incident to identify the drone operator and secure the unmanned aircraft. Local police investigators initiated inquiries into the identity of the operator and the flight path taken by the device.