Narew SHORAD System – Technical Dialogue has Begun

Offers will be accepted until the deadline of 15^th November 2014, solely from subjects which “offer complex solutions within the scope of short range missile systems”. The technical dialogue is planned to start between January and March 2015. The tender itself will start in 2016. 

Aim of the technical dialogue is to create conditions of the future bid, including short range air defence system tender requirements. The working name of the system is Narew. Missile systems of this type, with range of 25 km and  capability of destroying aircraft and helicopters, as well as cruise missiles and UAV’s, are to replace, inter alia, Osa-AK missile launchers in the Polish Army.

The Dialogue is to cover the following fields:

1. Assessment of possibility of meeting the technical requirements. Since this field deals with sensitive information, it is going to involve solely the participants of the procedure.
2. Initial cost assessment.
3. Initial assessment of the procurement schedule.
4. Analysis of conditions and limitations within the scope of technology transfer.
5. Identification of programme-related risks.
6. Acquisition of data that would make it possible to assess the operational costs.
7. Acquisition of information that would make it possible to assess the logistics system for the Narew programme.

What’s important, Lt. Adam Duda from the Armament Inspectorate, during the meeting of sub-commision dealing with the issues of the Polish armament industry and modernization of the Armed Forces, has stated that only bidders who propose “complex solutions” and not the individual components of the system, will be invited to take part in the talks. This probably limits the options – solely companies which offer complete short range missile systems will be able to take part in the tender.

Potential participants of the technical dialogue and subsequent Narew system tender may include Kongsber NASAMS system, MBDA Mica VL system, Israeli Spyder and Iron Dome systems and finally IRIS-T  system manufactured by the German Diehl BGT Defence company.

According to the Armed Forces Modernisation Programme, 9 Narew missile system batteries are to be introduced in the Polish Army until 2022. They should be compatible with the medium range Wisła system, 8 batteries of which are going to be procured (from 2018).