Mesko: 1,000 Piorun Systems to be Delivered Next Years. Preparation to Manufacture new Spike Systems Underway

During a press briefing, the representatives of the Mesko S.A. management - President Elżbieta Śreniawska, and Przemysław Kowalczuk, member of the management board for development, have presented the primary development plans, regarding the company's offer. Mesko is currently working on boosting its manufacturing capacity regarding the Piorun MANPADS. The company is also getting ready for deliveries of the Spike LR2 new generation ATGMs.

When it comes to the Piorun missiles, 600 are expected to be delivered this year. This would mean that the manufacturing capacity would be doubled. Earlier on it had only been possible to transfer a maximum of 300 missiles as such to the user, per year. Starting from the year 2023, it is planned that 1,000 Piorun missiles would be delivered yearly. The delivery of two batches of Piorun missiles in 2021 made it possible to significantly increase Mesko's income. Throughout the year 2020, the income was at the level of PLN 480 million, and in 2021 Mesko had an income of PLN 813 million. The increased manufacturing output for the Piorun missiles has also been possible thanks to optimizing the manufacturing processes and reorganization of the company, and modernization of the equipment.

Let us recall that Piorun missiles have been delivered to the Polish Armed Forces since 2018, and recently we have delivered them to Ukraine, as a part of the military aid. Piorun MANPADS have been used successfully in combat in Ukraine. Recently, the missile was used to shoot down a Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter. The United States also decided to procure these systems. Interest in the Piorun MANPADS has also been expressed by other nations.

Spike ATGM is another product supplied to the Polish Armed Forces by Mesko. A contract to deliver 1,000 Spike-LR1 missiles has recently been signed, and the implementation is currently underway. As noted by Przemysław Kowalczuk, Mesko is also preparing a production line to deliver the new variant of the missile - Spike-LR2. These offer greater capabilities, including an in-depth upgrade of the seeker, with a new, non-cooled thermal imaging system and enhanced TV guidance system, and an ability to fuse the data from both sensors. The missile also offers greater penetration performance and a range extended to 5.5 kilometers.

At the same time, the new missile offers complete backward compatibility with the existing Spike-LR launchers. Missiles as such can thus be used on portable launchers, and ZSSW-30 turrets - the latter systems are first destined to be integrated on Rosomak APC, and then, in a modified variant, on the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles.

Some of the investments pursued by Mesko are a part of the so-called "Project 400", assuming that the Treasury would provide financing to build or modernize 21 facilities in Pionki and Skarżysko-Kamienna. Procurement of more than 1,150 machines and systems is also expected. As a result, ammunition and missile manufacturing capacity would go up. Potential would also be established to manufacture mixed powders. Another important program that the company is invested in is the Narew project, where the CAMM/CAMM-ER missile technology is expected to be transferred to the PGZ Group companies.

Mesko is also getting ready to commercialize its development effort regarding the modern PGMs - the APR 155 precision-guided artillery rouns, and Pirat ATGM. Both systems above share the guidance system (they are laser-guided), that offers NATO standards compliance, yet is fully controlled by the Polish industry.

Jędrzej Graf, Jakub Palowski