On September 5, during the 31st International Defense Industry Exhibition in Kielce (Poland) the Polish Ministry of Defense approved three major contracts for the purchase of short-, medium- and long-range air defense systems.
Minister of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak, in the presence of the President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda, was in charge of signing the contracts for the procurement of Patriot missile batteries, CAMM missile batteries and command posts for the PILICA+ short-range defense system.
Baterie systemu Patriot/IBCS, nowe Morskie Jednostki Rakietowe, zestawy rakietowe krótkiego zasięgu Narew czy elementy zestawu Pilica+ i bezzałogowce – to kolejne uzbrojenie, które trafi do Wojska Polskiego w efekcie podpisanych dziś umów podczas targów zbrojeniowych w Kielcach.… pic.twitter.com/qX0wvuXejF
— Mariusz Błaszczak (@mblaszczak) September 5, 2023
Poland is creating an integrated multi-layer air and anti-missile defense, consisting of the Patriot missiles of the Wisła system at the top level, and the CAMM and CAMM-ER of the NAREW and PILICA+ system for the middle and lower levels.
Top level air defense
Polish high-altitude air defense will be provided by the Wisła system consisting of 12 new Patriot/IBSC missile batteries, which are in addition to the two Patriot batteries acquired in 2018.
Under the agreements reached with the U.S., the Polish Ministry of Defense Armaments Agency is procuring through the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) system: 12 LTAMDS (lower-tier air defense and anti-missile defense sensors) omnidirectional radars, 48 M903 PATRIOT system launchers and a stockpile of PAC-3 MSE missiles. Training and logistics packages have also been contracted.
According to information published in late June by the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the package purchased by Poland would include up to 644 PATRIOT Advanced Capability (PAC) 3, Missile Segment Enhanced (MSE) missiles, and would have an overall value of $15 billion.
Subsequently, contracts will be placed with the U.S. government for components of the IBCS system, which is the acronym for Integrated Combat Air and Missile Defense Command System developed by Northrop Grumman, designed to integrate sensors and effectors never designed to work together into a unified command and control system.
Deliveries of the first two batteries under the second phase of the WISŁA program will take place at the end of 2026 and 2027, with deliveries scheduled for completion in 2029.
NAREW medium level air defense system
Another important contract signed was for the NAREW short- and medium-range air defense system consisting of iLaunchers, short-range CAMM missiles (up to 25 km range) and medium-range CAMM-ER missiles (up to 45 km range), developed by MBDA.
As reported by the Polish Armaments Agency, the contract includes the purchase of more than 1,000 CAMM-ER missiles and 138 iLaunchers adapted for cooperation with the IBCS command system. Also contracted was the transfer of technology to ensure licensed production in Poland by PGZ (a consortium composed of several Polish defense companies) of both missiles and launchers, as well as a comprehensive training and logistics package. The NAREW systems will start to be delivered between 2027 and 2035.
The primary task of the NAREW system will be to provide cover for troops and installations in the area of operations and air bases, as well as to complement and provide protection for the Patriot batteries of the WISŁA system. The NAREW array will be designed primarily to combat piloted air attack assets, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles at low altitude.
The «brain» of lower tier air defense
The latest contract signed today by Minister Błaszczak is for the supply of 22 Zenit MP+ automated command posts, developed for the PILICA+ very short-range air defense system, for approximately $155 million. The Zenit MP+ will be delivered by the PGZ-PILICA+ consortium between 2025 and 2029.
See also: Poland and MBDA signed contract for the acquisition of CAMM air defense system
Each Zenit MP+ command post will be in charge of a PILICA+ very short-range air defense system, consisting of a radar station, two iLauncher vehicles armed with CAMM missiles and six ZUR-23-2SP firing units.
