The event, during which the framework agreement has been signed, involved the PGZ’s President of the Management Board, Arkadiusz Siwko, Member of the Board, Lew Mirski, as well as representatives of the MBDA company management – Group Export Director Jean Luc Lamothe and Vice-President MBDA Europe, Paul Stanley. The document covers the cooperation between the two companies, inclusion of the PGZ in the supply chain, support for operational use of the MBDA products, and transfer of competences within the scope of missile programmes contained in the Polish Army Technical Modernization Plan, especially when it comes to the “Narew” SHORAD programme.
The memorandum assumes that if the Polish Ministry of Defence decides to select the missile system and missile solutions offered by MBDA, then the European company would implement the jointly arranged technology transfer within that scope for the companies gathered within the PGZ Group. Should such scenario become real, MBDA also would transfer the relevant know-how to Poland, it would also provide Poland with an opportunity to include the domestic companies in the international supply-chain.
After a long negotiation process, we have come to an agreement concerning the broadly understood collaboration and exchange of the technologies between the companies of the Polish Armaments Group, and the ones belonging to MBDA. This gives us a certain degree of confidence today, that we will be able to, here, in Poland, with involvement of our domestic industry, on the basis of a relevant technology transfer, obtain the relevant expertise and implement a number of invaluably relevant military programmes.
The main area covered by the memorandum, as of now, is related to commencement of collaboration within the scope of the SHORAD “Narew” system. However, the plans envisaged by the aforesaid document are much wider. MBDA is interested in introducing a variety of armament systems into the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces, including missiles dedicated for the land forces and for the Navy, air defence systems, surface-to-surface or air-to-air missiles. Moreover, the company is also able to deliver relevant armament systems for submarines, surface combatants, helicopters, aircraft and land forces.
Above all, [the memorandum concerns the] Narew air defence system programme, as well as other programmes, in case of which other competencies may be obtained, within the framework of the said collaboration. This is important to us, and it forms a prospect of collaboration with the European industries that operate within NATO, which is especially significant for us.
As it was stated by Arkadiusz Siwko, President of the Board at the PGZ S.A. Company, the memorandum also remains important within the context of the prospects of collaboration emerging between the Polish industry and companies hailing from the European NATO member states. The industrial facilities belonging to the Polish Armaments Group are getting an opportunity to begin their collaboration with MBDA in the domain of missiles, launchers, command and control systems, data links, support vehicles, systems integration, programme management, maintenance and training activities.
PIT-Radwar S.A., Mesko S.A., PCO S.A., ZM „Tarnów” S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Uzbrojenia S.A. [Military Armament Works], Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne S.A. [Military Electronic Works], Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności S.A. [Military Communications Works] , OBR Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A. [Research and Development Centre for Maritime Technology], Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., Jelcz Sp. z o.o., Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 2 S.A. [Military Aviation Works No. 2] and Stocznię Remontową „Nauta” S.A [“Nauta” Shiprepair Yard] have all been listed, among other entities, as the potential beneficiaries of the prospective collaboration.