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The 31st International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO is taking place in Kielce. It is the largest defence industry fair in this part of Europe. The government announced the signing of contracts to the tune of PLN 110.126 billion. This is equal to the estimated cost of the NPP in Choczewo – writes Bartosz Siemieniuk, contributor to BiznesAlert.pl.
The first day was dominated by the topic of air defense systems. Two contracts for the supply of 23 short-range air defense batteries have been concluded with the PGZ Narew consortium. Their total value amounted to PLN 54 billion. These agreements include:
– iLaunchers;
– 1,000 CAMM-ER long-range missiles.
The Narew Air Defense System is a short-range air defense system. It is central to Poland’s air defense strategy. It is designed to combat targets such as helicopters, aircraft, drones and cruise missiles. In the event of an armed conflict, Narew will cooperate with Patriots, making air defense more tight.
Another contract signed by Minister Mariusz Błaszczak concerns the second phase of the Vistula Program. This is a key issue for Polish Defense. We are talking about nearly USD 48 billion. As part of the order Poland will purchase:
– 48 M903 launchers;
– 644 PAC-3 MSE missiles;
– LTAMDS all-round radars.
We are talking about the Patriot system. It is a medium-range air defense system. It allows to combat primarily ballistic missiles such as the Russian Iskander, but it can also combat hypersonic missiles. Poland will be the first, after the USA, to use all-round radars. Delivery of the systems is planned for 2026-2029.
In addition, an agreement was signed to acquire 22 Zenit-MP+ automated command posts for the Pilica+ short-range air defense systems. The cost of obtaining them is PLN 650 million. They are primarily designed to protect the aforementioned systems. The contract is for two iLauncher launchers for each battery. The additional effectors are intended primarily to strengthen the capabilities of the system, which will be coordinated by a Polish radar Bystra.
Poland has also ordered additional systems for two units of the Naval Missile Unit. The value of everything is supposed to be PLN 8 billion and implementation is expected for the years 2026-2032. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace will provide:
– anti-submarine guided missiles Naval Strike Missle (NSM) in the amount of about 500 pieces;
– command vehicles;
– dozens of launchers.
Finally, the Ministry of Defense announced the signing of a framework agreement with the Polish company WB Electornics for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles FlyEye. Nearly 1,700 UAVs, along with training packages, are to be provided to the Ministry. These drones primarily support the reconnaissance of artillery formations and Ukrainians have been highly appreciative of them during the current hostilities. The purchase is worth PLN 126 million and it is to be completed by 2035.
All the signed contracts have totalled at PLN 110.126 billion. This is the estimated construction cost of the planned nuclear power plant in Choczewo. This shows the enormous scale of the agreements signed.
Air defence is crucial in protecting critical infrastructure, including power generation facilities. In the autumn of 2022, the main target of Russian air bombing was Ukrainian energy infrastructure in order to cause a winter blackout. The capabilities that Poland is acquiring, according to experts, are to make its air and missile defense one of the strongest in Europe. This shows that we learn from the examples of others.
Bartosz Siemieniuk
