MSPO 2023: Poland signs new air-defence contracts

Raytheon's Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor is one component of the Wisła programme. (Raytheon)

The Polish government approved major contracts for air-defence programmes at the MSPO 2023 defence exhibition in Kielce, Poland. Signed on 5 September in the presence of Poland's President Andrzej Duda and Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, the contracts have a combined value of more than USD15.5 billion.

Contracts for Phase 2 of the Wisła programme were signed, which will see the acquisition – via US Foreign Military Sales (FMS) – of 12 Raytheon Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) radars, 48 M903 Patriot launchers, and an undisclosed number of PAC 3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles. Further contracts are expected for the procurement of the Northrop Grumman Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) battle management system. Wisła Phase 2 will also carry on Phase 1 offsets commitments previously signed with Polish industry. Under this agreement, Poland will supply support vehicles, mobile communications nodes, P-18PL target detection radars, and PET/PCL passive radars. Furthermore, Polish industry will be responsible for the production of the M903 launchers, as well as elements of the PAC 3 MSE missile. A total of six batteries will be acquired under the Wisła Phase 2 programme. Deliveries of the first two batteries are planned for 2026–27, and the remaining are scheduled to be delivered by 2029.