WZE Zielonka to Become a Maintenance Center for the NSM Missiles

The investment assumes that a set of separate buildings would be erected at WZE, allowing the facility to manufacture, maintain and certify the Kongsberg’s missiles. The initiative is a part of a bigger plan with an objective of establishing new missile capabilities at the PGZ Group. The investment in question has a value exceeding PLN 30 million.

Establishment of NSM maintenance centre at WZE S.A. is to provide maintenance and overhaul capacity extending to domestic certification of the missile, thus eliminating the necessity to send them abroad to for the purpose of carrying out these procedures. Other areas in which the centre’s potential could be utilized have been identified as well, and we want to make use of them during other missile-technology-focused programmes involving the PGZ S.A. companies.

WZE S.A. is a beneficiary in case of two offset agreements also involving the Kongsberg company, the NSM systems manufacturer. The first agreement made it possible to establish and launch a Centre for Maintenance Support and NSM System Configuration Management at WZE.

The second agreement assumes that mid-life upgrade (MLU) infrastructure would be established, also allowing for recertification of the NSM missiles operated by the Naval Missile Unit. This is done with an intention of securing the requirements that the Naval Missile Unit may have, when it comes to combat readiness of the NSM missiles. 

Getting involved in an undertaking as such makes it possible, for WZE S.A., to extend the scope within which it renders services for the Polish military in the manufacturing and maintenance domain. At the same time, capabilities to manufacture the NSM and other missiles of this class are being established. According to the agreement signed today, the investment would be finalized between 2019 and 2020.

Takeover of the know-how, pertaining to manufacturing and servicing of the missiles and implementation of new organization and work culture, compliant with the NATO standards, would have a positive impact on development of the company in the area of technologies, organization and operations.

Kongsberg NSM (Naval Strike Missile) manufactured by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is a precise 5th generation subsonic long range anti-ship cruise missile. The effector in question offers a capability to attack land targets as well. NSMs have been acquired by the Polish Navy to act as a coastal artillery asset. Back in 2008 Polish Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Economy signed a set of contracts with the Kongsberg company, concerning delivery of equipment for the Coastal Missile Squadron of the 3rd Ships Flotilla, with NSM to act as the main effector. 12 missiles were procured back then, in line with the agreement. 2 years later (2010) another contract was signed, with an intention to acquire another 38 missiles. 36 NSM missiles were a part of the right to exercise an option while two additional effectors were procured for test purposes.