MSPO 2023: Polish Navy's future Miecznik frigates to receive MBDA CAMM…

MBDA Common Anti-air Modular Missile on display at MSPO 2023. (Janes/Neil Dee)

The Polish Navy's future Miecznik (Project 106)-class frigates will receive the medium-range (MR) version of MBDA's Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) once developed, it has been confirmed.

The plan for the Mieczniks to receive the CAMM-MR forms part of an announcement of a letter of intent signed on 6 September between MBDA and the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa: PGZ) to co-operate in the development of the CAMM-MR. The MR version is being developed for ground and naval air defence at medium ranges.

The letter of intent follows agreements between the UK and Polish governments to progress development of a future common missile based on the CAMM, as part of the UK-Poland 2030 strategic partnership. The CAMM-MR is being developed as part of a contract with the Polish Ministry of National Defence and is intended to complement the CAMM and CAMM-Extended Range (ER) versions as part of the integrated air and missile defence capabilities of the Miecznik, along with the Pilica, Narew, and Wisła programmes.

Speaking to Janes at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland, MBDA said that part of the requirement for the development of the CAMM-MR is that it will be equipped on the Miecznik frigates in due course. The CAMM-MR will be part of a multilayer MBDA Sea Ceptor surface-to-air missile system on the frigates featuring CAMM-ER and MR. Janes understands that the Miecznik frigates will be equipped with a Lockheed Martin Mk41 vertical launching system (VLS) capable of launching CAMM and carrying up to 128 missiles.