Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has awarded two contracts worth about $3.1 Billion to boost the nation’s short-range air defense capabilities.
Under the first contract, valued at some £1.9 billion ($2.4 billion), the Government ordered Common Anti-air Modular Missiles, or CAMMs, and 44 iLaunchers from MBDA. The weapons will be part of Poland’s 22 Pilica+ very-short-range air defense batteries. Deliveries of military equipment will be carried out in the years 2025-2029.
The second contract has been awarded to a consortium led by Poland’s state-run defense giant PGZ, which is to provide the country’s military with 16 new Pilica+ batteries and six upgraded ones for about approx. $720 million.
The Pilica+ complements the multi-layer anti-aircraft and anti-missile protection of the Polish skies which is being developed by the military.
Designed by PGZ, PILICA+ will combine MBDA’s CAMM short-range radar-guided missiles with Polish-made autocannon and very-short range infrared guided missiles into a triple-layer system commanded by a Polish command and control system and guided by Polish radars.
PILICA+ will operate as the inner tier of a highly-capable integrated Polish air defence network also including the upper-tier WISLA system and mid-tier NAREW system, which MBDA is also supporting with PGZ.
Notably, Poland is already a user of MBDA’s CAMM, receiving a first battery in 2022 in response to an urgent requirement called mała (small) NAREW that was successfully delivered by MBDA and PGZ in 6 months.
MBDA and PGZ also continue to work towards contracting the technology transfer and Polish manufacture of the mid-tier NAREW air defence programme, utilising the extended range CAMM-ER missile and a common iLauncher solution, and on co-operation on future missiles for higher air defence tiers (through a contract placed in 2022).
Poland will benefit from the synergies of operating the CAMM family across multiple domains as these missiles will also equip Poland’s future maritime air defence system on-board the Miecznik-class frigates.
Image Source: https://www.mbda-systems.com/
