Polish M28 Bryza aircraft adapted as fast-response counter-drone platform

PZL Mielec has presented a new counter-drone concept based on its well-known M28 Bryza aircraft. Drawing on lessons from the war in Ukraine, the company wants to turn the turboprop transport into a rapidly deployable platform for detecting and shooting down hostile drones, including massed loitering munitions.

The manufacturer argues that this modular solution could quickly strengthen Poland’s short-range air defence, complementing ground-based systems now under development. The first aircraft could be ready for service within weeks of signing a contract, if existing Polish M28s are used as the basis for conversion.

From Ukraine’s An-28 to a Polish M28 counter-UAS platform

The M28 counter-UAS (C‑UAS, Counter Unmanned Air Systems) concept is rooted in operational experience from Ukraine. There, An‑28 aircraft – an earlier, related design also produced in Mielec – have been adapted to hunt drones on the frontline, attracting international attention.

According to PZL Mielec, publicly available information from Ukraine’s National Guard and its own internal analyses showed that the M28 airframe is particularly suitable for integration with systems for detecting, tracking and engaging drones. As the type certificate holder and final manufacturer, the company controls the design, production and modification of the aircraft and can propose tailored upgrades for existing and new users.

The anti-drone M28 is conceived as a general concept rather than a single fixed configuration. It is aimed both at current operators of the aircraft worldwide and at the Polish Ministry of National Defence. Although no order has yet been placed, PZL Mielec has prepared a demonstrator to showcase the proposed solutions.

Modular design and phased upgrades

PZL Mielec emphasises that the M28 C‑UAS is a modular, step-by-step concept that can be scaled according to a customer’s budget, timetable and threat environment. Instead of a closed, one-off project, it is designed to evolve.

In the first phase, the configuration proposed to Poland would be broadly similar to the Ukrainian adaptations. It would include:

• gun armament in 7.62 mm and 12.7 mm calibre, including side-mounted weapons and underwing pods
• an electro‑optical / infrared observation turret for detection, identification and targeting of drones

This initial load-out is focused on giving the aircraft a basic ability to spot and destroy slow to medium-speed drones, particularly mass-produced types similar to Shahed loitering munitions, whose cruising speed is around 185 km/h.

Further phases could add more sophisticated sensors and weapons, including air-launched anti-drone munitions or missile systems better suited to engaging faster targets. The exact mix would depend on customer requirements.

Timeline for Polish anti-drone M28 aircraft

In early May, during the Defence24 Days conference, a senior representative of the Polish Armed Forces revealed that using in-service M28 Bryza aircraft as counter-drone platforms was being considered. The first prototype for testing would receive gun armament after a contract between the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate and PZL Mielec is signed.

PZL Mielec states that it is ready to proceed as soon as it is formally invited to submit an offer and start negotiations. The company does not yet know what exact configuration the client will request, but notes that the M28 C‑UAS architecture can accommodate a wide range of options.

If the Ministry of National Defence were to hand over existing M28 aircraft for a first-phase upgrade, PZL Mielec estimates that:

• conversion of a Polish-operated aircraft to the basic C‑UAS configuration, including testing and certification, could be completed in a matter of several weeks after contract signing, assuming administrative processes are not delayed
• integration of other, more complex weapons than currently foreseen could extend the timeline to several to more than a dozen months
• production of completely new M28 C‑UAS aircraft for a new user would typically take about 24–36 months, depending on the selected configuration

The compressed schedule for Polish aircraft would rely on close cooperation with the national military aviation authority for certification. PZL Mielec would provide the required analyses and test results to demonstrate safety and airworthiness, with the ministry handling regulatory approvals.

The company underlines that, unlike wartime Ukraine where urgent operational needs override many peacetime procedures, Poland must satisfy full safety and certification standards. The goal is therefore to deliver an initial, practical capability quickly, then grow it over time rather than waiting years for an ideal solution.

How the M28 can support air defence against drones

In PZL Mielec’s vision, the M28 C‑UAS would not replace ground-based air defence systems but rather act as an additional layer and force multiplier, especially within the lowest tiers of a wider integrated air defence system such as Poland’s planned SAN network.

In an anti-drone role, the aircraft could:

• patrol designated areas to detect and identify incoming drones using onboard sensors
• engage slower drones directly with gun armament
• operate from short, semi‑prepared or unpaved airstrips, taking advantage of the M28’s short take‑off and landing capabilities
• relay information on detected threats to higher air defence layers and command centres, contributing to overall situational awareness

PZL Mielec notes that the M28 is particularly well-suited to intercepting slower, propeller-driven drones, such as Shahed-type systems. Its maximum speed of around 350 km/h is sufficient to manoeuvre against these targets, especially when operating on likely approach routes or around critical infrastructure.

Dealing with faster and more advanced drones

The war in Ukraine has also shown growing use of faster drones, including jet-powered systems capable of flying at several hundred kilometres per hour. Against such threats, guns alone may not be adequate.

In response, PZL Mielec is analysing the possibility of equipping the M28 C‑UAS with underwing anti-drone munitions or missile systems. These could offer the speed and manoeuvrability required to defeat higher-performance unmanned aircraft, depending on the weapons chosen by the customer.

Nonetheless, the company stresses that the M28 C‑UAS is not designed to supplant medium- and long-range air defence. Instead, it is intended to strengthen the lower levels, particularly in scenarios involving massed drone strikes, while providing additional sensor coverage and flexibility.

If the aircraft detects a drone it cannot effectively engage, it could still play a valuable role as an airborne sensor. Through its communications suite, it would be able to send timely target information to other elements of the air defence system better suited to neutralising that threat.

Onboard communications and sensor options

To function as both a shooter and an airborne node in a wider network, the M28 C‑UAS is expected to carry modern military communications equipment. PZL Mielec already offers NATO-standard radios and tactical data links such as Link 16 on its aircraft, and these options are part of the counter-drone concept as well.

This would allow the aircraft to exchange data with other platforms and command centres in real time. Two-way connectivity means the crew could both transmit detections and receive tasking or situational updates in the cockpit.

The company also sees potential to integrate suitable airborne radars. Depending on the system chosen, a radar could help detect objects with different radar cross-sections at tactically useful ranges, further improving the aircraft’s contribution to situational awareness and early warning against drones.

Protection of the aircraft and design trade-offs

Modern conflicts have begun to feature so‑called hunter-killer drones, including unmanned platforms armed with guided surface-to-air missiles. Asked whether the M28 C‑UAS concept includes self‑defence systems against such threats, PZL Mielec indicates that defensive aids are possible in principle but are not part of the baseline anti-drone configuration.

For the counter-UAS variant, the company’s primary focus is to deliver an affordable, quickly implementable solution optimised for drone detection and engagement. Adding complex self-protection suites would increase weight, integration complexity and cost, and might come at the expense of other capabilities. However, if a customer specifically demands such systems, they could be considered within the limits of the platform.

PZL Mielec stresses that no aircraft can accommodate every possible system at once; trade-offs are inevitable. The guiding idea behind the M28 C‑UAS is therefore to provide a practical, modular base platform that can be customised to national requirements while remaining relatively simple to deploy and operate.