Armed Forces
Polish Military Taking Deliveries of Poprad SHORAD System
According to a release issued by PIT-RADWAR S.A., the first example of the Poprad system has been delivered to the Polish military. This means that deliveries began with regards to a lot of 24 examples, expected to be delivered in line with a contract concluded recently.
The agreement concerning the delivery of 77 series-manufactured examples of the Poprad air defence system has been concluded by and between the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of Defence and PIT-RADWAR S.A. on 16th December 2015. It has a value of 1.083 bn. zlotys. According to the schedule adopted, the deliveries were to begin between 2017 and 2018, while the finalization deadline has been set in 2021. The examples ordered follow the first two prototypes. This means that the Polish military would receive 79 Poprad systems in total.
The first series-manufactured Poprad systems have been received by the Polish military in June 2018. By the end of 2019, the air defence units of the Army have received 36 Poprad systems in total. Three air defence regiments of three general divisions are now using the system in question (fourth, 18th Mechanized Division is being formed now, with an organic anti-aircraft unit). Poprad systems have already been received by the 4th “Zielonogórski” Anti-Aircraft Regiment (11th “Lubuska” Armoured Cavalry Division), 8th “Koszaliński” Anti-Aircraft Regiment (12th “Szczecińska” Mechanized Division) and 15th “Gołdapski” Anti-Aircraft Regiment (16th “Pomorska” Mechanized Division). Systems as such are also being introduced into the inventory of some batteries of the anti-aircraft squadrons of the general military brigades.
POPRAD is a VSHORAD SAM system that is destined to become a part of the lowest layer of the IA/MDS. POPRAD has been designed to detect, recognize and destroy airborne targets at close distances and low altitudes with the use of short-range anti-aircraft missiles. The system is armed with 4 Grom or modernized Piorun VSHORAD missiles. The missiles are placed on a column mount installed within the cargo compartment of a Żubr vehicle that is extended when in a combat setting.