Poland has signed its largest ever contract for the supply of Piorun man‑portable air defence missile systems. The framework agreement, signed on 24 August at the MESKO S.A. facility in Skarżysko‑Kamienna, involves Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Norway and is valued at 8 billion zlotys, roughly 2.2 billion US dollars.
Under the deal, thousands of Piorun launchers and missiles will be delivered to the Polish Armed Forces as well as the armies of Latvia, Lithuania and Norway. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak‑Kamysz said at the signing ceremony that this is the first contract of its kind where the consortium is made up of states rather than companies. Kosiniak‑Kamysz explained the acronym SAFE as standing for “sojusze, armia, fabryki, Europa” – alliances, army, factories, Europe – and noted that representatives from the allied armies of Lithuania, Latvia and Norway, along with attachés and ambassadors, were present at the ceremony.
The contract was signed between the Armament Agency on behalf of the Polish Treasury and MESKO S.A. The parties were represented by Armament Agency Chief Major General Artur Kuptel, MESKO S.A. President Renata Gruszczyńska and Board Member Marcin Ożóg. The ceremony was also attended by Magdalena Sobkowiak‑Czarnecka, State Secretary at the Ministry of National Defence and Government Representative for Strengthening State Resilience.
MESKO’s Production Capacity Increases 2.5 Times
The framework agreement covers the supply of thousands of Piorun man‑portable air defence missile systems, along with simulators and training and logistics packages, under joint orders within the SAFE programme for the Polish Armed Forces and other NATO countries. More than 80 percent of the order, consisting of missiles and launchers, will be allocated to the Polish Army. The executive contract for the Polish Armed Forces will be financed through the SAFE instrument.
Kosiniak‑Kamysz stated that MESKO’s current production capacity has increased 2.5 times compared to when the government took office. He said that together with Sobkowiak‑Czarnecka, they have been signing contracts under the SAFE programme since May, and that 200 people have already been employed at MESKO alone. Kosiniak‑Kamysz added that such investments strengthen not only operational capability but also societal resilience.
Sobkowiak‑Czarnecka noted that during SAFE mechanism negotiations, there was no EU country that did not ask about the availability of Piorun, describing it as a Polish export product. She also recalled that the system is used by the US Army, attributing this to the hard work of MESKO employees.
Piorun’s Technical Specifications
Piorun is used against low‑flying aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and drones. In the Polish Armed Forces, it is deployed at the lowest tier of the air defence system, tasked with short‑range and low‑altitude missions.
The system is a modernised version of the GROM man‑portable air defence system already in Polish military inventory. Modernisation has brought a redesigned launch mechanism, a new guidance head with greater accuracy, and an optoelectronic sight mounted on a special rail. These changes have improved target acquisition, resistance to jamming and effective range.
A proximity fuze has been added alongside the existing impact fuze, along with a directional warhead, increasing effectiveness against small targets such as drones. The system now also features user authorisation and night firing capability.
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Source: C4Defence–Polish Ministry of National Defence
