Poland, Norway, Lithuania and Latvia have signed a framework agreement to acquire several thousand Piorun man-portable air-defense missiles and several hundred launch units from Poland’s state-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, or PGZ. The agreement is valued at more than 8 billion zloty, approximately $2.2 billion, and names Poland as the consortium’s lead nation. Defense News
The deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2030. More than 80% of the equipment is to be delivered to Poland’s armed forces, with the remainder going to the other three participating countries. The procurement also covers simulators, training and logistics packages, according to Breaking Defense.
The agreement brings four European countries together for a common purchase of a Polish short-range air-defense system. Poland’s portion is to be financed through the European Union’s Security Action for Europe, or SAFE, scheme, which provides low-cost loans for defense purchases. The four countries are also participating in EDIRPA, an EU program intended to encourage joint defense procurement. The acquisition is being carried out as part of the EU SAFE program.
The procurement will be executed through Poland’s defense industry. PGZ subsidiary MESKO manufactures the Piorun at its facility in Skarżysko-Kamienna, central Poland. Poland’s Armament Agency is handling purchases for both the Polish military and the armed forces of its partner countries, a shift from its usual role of procuring equipment for Poland alone. Defense News
Piorun is designed to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles. Producer data describes the system’s current generation as having a maximum altitude of up to 4 kilometers, or about 2.5 miles, and a range of up to 6.5 kilometers, or about 4 miles.
The missile is an upgraded version of Poland’s Grom system. Its improvements include a modified launch mechanism, a more sensitive homing head and an optoelectronic sight mounted on a dedicated rail. According to MESKO information, the system also includes improved target-acquisition capabilities, greater resistance to jamming, night-firing capability, a proximity fuse and a directional warhead. Those features are intended to improve its ability to engage small or low-flying targets.
The framework agreement follows increased international interest in the Piorun. Poland supplied the system to Ukraine in 2022, before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. PGZ officials have said the company increased dedicated missile production capacity from 300 units annually to 1,500 in recent years, with plans to exceed 2,000 missiles per year. The company has also sold the weapon to customers outside Europe, including the United States, Japan and Indonesia.
The agreement does not disclose the exact allocation of missiles and launch units among the four countries. It establishes the procurement framework, the equipment categories and the delivery timetable, with completion planned by 2030.