Poland’s Armament Agency, part of the Ministry of National Defence, has signed a contract for the production of several thousand missiles and several hundred launchers for the Polish-made Piorun man-portable air defense system. It is the first joint Polish procurement under the SAFE program, which aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of European countries, and is also the largest order for Piorun systems in the weapon’s history.
According to Defence24, more than 80% of the order will go to the Polish Armed Forces, while the remainder will be supplied to Lithuania, Latvia, and Norway. The contract is worth 8 billion Polish zlotys, or approximately €1.86 billion.
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In addition to the weapons themselves, the contract includes simulators as well as training and logistics packages. Deliveries are scheduled to continue through 2030 in accordance with the rules of the European SAFE program, which is financing the procurement.
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, and Norway have formed a four-country consortium for the procurement. The Polish Armament Agency signed the contract with the manufacturer, Mesko S.A., on behalf of the consortium. An implementation agreement is expected to be signed within the next few days.
Defense Express notes that the deal became known nearly two weeks ago, but Norway’s participation had not been disclosed at the time. It was only stated that an unnamed NATO member would be involved. The contract was also initially reported as being worth 7 billion zlotys, while the final value turned out to be 1 billion zlotys higher.
One could assume that if more than 80% of the order is intended for Poland, the previously reported 7 billion zlotys referred only to the Polish Armed Forces’ share. However, no precise information has been provided to confirm this. Moreover, 7 billion zlotys represents 87.5% of the final 8 billion zloty contract value, so it is not possible to draw a definitive conclusion.
Piorun MANPADS have been used by Ukraine’s Defense Forces on the battlefield since 2022 and have been credited with shooting down a range of Russian aerial threats, including cruise missiles, aircraft, and helicopters.
The system is also in service with Poland, Latvia, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Estonia, and North Macedonia.
For Lithuania, the current procurement appears to be its first order for Piorun, potentially making it the latest future operator of the system. Lithuania may not have to wait too long, given the relatively rapid deliveries currently being achieved and Poland’s efforts to expand production capacity. However, no specific delivery date has been announced yet.
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