President of the Polish Armaments Group on the Wisła Programme: “A Technological Leap”

President of the Polish Armaments Group noted that collaboration with the manufacturer of the Patriot missiles within the Wisła programme would constitute a “technological leap” for the company. He also underlined the fact that the collaboration remains highly beneficial for the domestic defence industry, represented, in this case, by the Group.

It is a technological leap which, thanks to collaboration with a company of high reputation, such as Raytheon, may be made by the Polish Armaments Group, and, above all, the subsidiary companies forming the composition of the PGZ, which remain our greatest asset. (...) I may hereby assure you that this collaboration will be, without any doubts, very beneficial for the Polish defence industry, represented by the Polish Armaments Group

Wojnicz was referring in this way to the updated Letter of Request, regarding the Patriot systems planned to be acquired within the Wisła programme. Poland is inclined to procure 8 systems of this type. All of the batteries are to be fitted with the IBCS BMS, while the first package is scheduled for delivery in 2019. The Ministry assumes that the system acquisition agreement would be signed by the end of the year.

The MoD has obtained a so called “yockey waiver”, a special consent to acquire the IBCS system within the scope of the FMS programme, before the suite enters mass production. As emphasized by Bartosz Kownacki, Secretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Defence, in this way the IADS management suite may be introduced into use in the Polish and US military in parallel and simultaneously.

Polish Ministry of Defence has resigned from acquiring the PAC-2/GEM-T missiles. PAC-3 MSE and SkyCeptor effectors are expected to be used instead. The latter, being a derivative and evolved form of the Stunner missiles developed via a joint effort undertaken by the US and Israeli industries, are to be license manufactured in Poland.