Armed Forces
Cruise missiles indispensable for the Polish Submarines – Required Range: 800 km
Polish Armed Forces plan to acquire cruise missiles for the new type of submarines. The missiles are to be capable of striking ground targets at distances up to 800 km, and are treated as an indispensable element of the Polish Armed Forces strategic deterrence system. As MoD secretary of state, Czesław Mroczek, stated, the proceedings aiming at acquisition of the new submarines are to start later this year.
Minister Mroczek stressed the fact that it is a certain thing that the Polish Armed Forces will acquire cruise missiles for the submarines, nevertheless some issues remain to be solved in the light of acquiring the new armament. The proceedings aiming at acquisition of the new submarines is to start this year, while the contractor will be selected in 2015.
According to the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army, general Mieczysław Gocuł, the analysis conducted resulted in defining a need to arm the submarines with new generation cruise missiles. These missiles will be treated as an element of the Polish strategic deterrence system. The new armament is to be able to strike targets as far as 800 km away.
All of that comes together in the new type of Submarine. There is no doubt that a submarine will be capable of striking the enemy with missile systems using cruise missiles, with a range of ca. 800 km
General Gocuł pointed out that acquisition of the cruise missiles for the submarines is an element of creating the Armed Forces' capability within the scope of detecting, identifying, carrying out reconnaissance of and striking the targets and assessment of effect the strike would potentially have. Chief of the General Staff stressed the fact that satellite imagery system off the Polish Army, capabilities of the Special Forces and reconnaissance regiments and reconnaissance and strike reconnaissance systems will be an indispensable element that come together in order to form the new capabilities.
Submarine-based cruise missiles are an indispensable element of acquiring strategic defence deterrence capability
As stated by general Gocuł, acquisition of submarines armed with cruise missiles is to be realized as a part of the strategic deterrence capability, together with procurement of AGM-158 JASSM missiles, ground based Homar missile launchers or unmanned aerial systems. Gocuł stressed that cruise missiles are indispensable for the Polish Army.