Poland has signed a contract for the production of several thousand missiles and several hundred launchers for Piorun man-portable air-defense systems for itself and three other NATO countries, worth approximately €1.86 billion. Defense Express reported this on August 24, citing Defence24, according to UNN.
Details
The contract was signed by the Armament Agency of Poland’s Ministry of National Defence with the Polish company Mesko S.A. More than 80% of the order is intended for the Polish military, with the remainder for Lithuania, Latvia, and Norway.
The total value of the deal is 8 billion Polish zlotys, or approximately €1.86 billion. In addition to the missiles and launchers themselves, the contract also includes simulators, training, and logistics packages.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Norway have formed a four-country consortium for joint procurement. The parties plan to sign the agreement to implement the contract within several days, while arms deliveries are to continue until 2030 under the European SAFE program.
The Piorun is used by the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Piorun man-portable air-defense systems have been in service with the Defense Forces of Ukraine since 2022. Ukrainian troops have used these systems against Russian aircraft and other aerial targets, including airplanes, helicopters, and cruise missiles.
In addition to Poland and Ukraine, Piorun systems are in service with Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, and North Macedonia. Following the new procurement, Lithuania is expected to join the system’s operators.
This order became Poland’s first joint procurement under the SAFE program and the largest contract for Piorun man-portable air-defense systems in history. Earlier, preparations for a similar agreement worth 7 billion zlotys had been reported, but the contract’s final value increased to 8 billion zlotys.