Delivery of first Wisla MRAD system to Polish Armed Forces completed

The first Polish-made Patriot launcher and resupply vehicle delivered by Huta Stalowa Wola was displayed at International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2021. (Janes/Jakub Link-Lenczowski)

Delivery of the first battery of the Wisła medium-range air-defence (MRAD) system to the Polish Armed Forces has been completed, Polish Armaments Agency (AA) spokesperson Kacper Bakuła told Janes on 2 June.

The programme, which will provide upper-tier air defence, is divided into two phases. Under phase one the first of the two purchased Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries is being established. Referring to the second battery, Bakuła said, “Further deliveries of the key battery components are planned to be completed by the end of September.”

The next milestone for the Wisła programme will be the completion of system integration and checkout (SICO) tests. Bakuła said, “SICO IBCS [Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System] tests for the first battery are planned to be completed in July 2023. Then testing of the second battery will commence.” There has been a delay in the certification timeline as SICO tests were scheduled to be completed in the second quarter of 2023. As a result, basic operational capability (BOC) may not be reached by the end of 2023. “The first battery will achieve BOC after technical and tactical training under the supervision of American instructors,” Bakuła said.

“Under the contract, only PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles are being acquired in phase one,” said Bakuła. For the first batch of 208 effectors, no PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) missiles will be provided.

Under Poland's Technical Modernization Plan, the Polish Ministry of National Defence (MND) is building multilayer air defences based on several programmes: the medium-range Wisła, short-range Narew, and very short-range Pilica.