Downing Street has set a clear defence and industry marker. The UK and Poland have agreed new cooperation on air and missile defence and a step-up in helicopter training, timed with President Karol Nawrocki’s visit to London on 13 January 2026, the Ministry of Defence said. ([gov.uk](Link

The agreement covers joint virtual training for air and missile interception to improve coordination at lower cost and risk. This activity will run through DIAMOND, the UK‑led NATO initiative designed to knit together allied air and missile defences so different systems operate more effectively as one. The MoD first trailed DIAMOND’s role in late 2024. ([gov.uk](Link

On skills, the first cohort of eight Polish helicopter pilots will start training in the UK from summer 2026 under the NATO Flight Training Europe programme. Two Polish instructors will be based at RAF Shawbury for a full rotational tour, with advanced modules geared towards future attack helicopter roles. ([gov.uk](Link

Industrial signals are equally important. London and Warsaw will explore developing and procuring new capabilities and encourage additional manufacturing capacity in Europe-language that points to more orders and new lines for missile and radar supply chains if programmes progress. Recent UK‑Poland deals, including a £4bn Narew phase between MBDA and PGZ, show the scale on offer. ([gov.uk](Link

Those contracts sit alongside 2023’s £1.9bn export for CAMM launchers and missiles into Poland, supporting UK jobs while scaling Polish air defence. Together, these agreements have helped lift UK‑Polish defence industrial collaboration to roughly £8bn for the UK over three years, according to the government. ([gov.uk](Link

Budget context matters. The government describes the current trajectory as the biggest uplift since the Cold War, with defence spending totalling £270bn over this Parliament. That firepower underwrites training pipelines, simulation infrastructure and potential factory investments that flow from UK‑Poland programmes. ([gov.uk](Link

Operationally, more than 350 British personnel are deployed across Poland, with RAF Typhoons flying alongside Polish and other allied pilots under NATO’s Eastern Sentry mission to protect Polish and NATO airspace. The UK confirmed Typhoon participation after Russian drone incursions in 2025. ([gov.uk](Link

For manufacturers and SMEs, the near‑term focus is clear: virtual training technology, secure networking for DIAMOND, and rotary‑wing training services. If European capacity is expanded, expect follow‑on demand in electronics, propulsion components and composite structures-areas where UK firms already supply into Narew and related systems. ([gov.uk](Link

We read three takeaways for business planning. First, the training calendar is real and near‑dated, which supports utilisation at RAF Shawbury and primes UK suppliers in simulation and maintenance. Second, DIAMOND’s integration push should favour interoperable software and secure communications. Third, any European manufacturing moves would reward firms that can scale quickly without quality slippage. ([gov.uk](Link

The politics will ebb and flow, but the commercial direction is steady: the UK wants more of the defence value chain onshore or in trusted European facilities, and Poland remains a willing partner with urgent requirements. For investors, procurement notices and industry MoUs will be the milestones to watch next.