Poland signs short-range air missile deal

Mariusz Błaszczak, the defence minister, has signed an agreement for the supply of six anti-aircraft systems equipped with British-made CAMM missiles.

The systems will be part of Poland's short-range missile defence programme, Narew. In 2022-23, Poland will receive two units composed of three iLauncher systems each as well as missiles, a Polish-made mobile radar, a fire control system and transport vehicles.

The CAMM surface-to-air missiles are produced by the British subsidiary of the pan-European missile systems producer MBDA.

The defence minister said, after signing the agreement on Thursday, that Poland was drawing conclusions from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

"We can see the importance of air defence," Błaszczak said, adding that the war in Ukraine was the main reason for speeding up the procurement process. "I believe it's a world record in terms of speeding up deliveries," Błaszczak added, praising cooperation with the systems' producers.

According to him, the Polish armed forces will receive the first unit in September.

Poland's complete air defence system is planned to be composed of a mid-range component of US-made Patriot missiles, the short-range Narew component and the very-short range missile platforms Poprad and Pilica.