MBDA UK to bolster Poland’s air defence system in US$5 billion deal

MBDA UK and the Polish PGZ have signed a £4 billion (US$4.9 billion) deal to work on the next phase of Poland’s future air defence programme, the countries announced this week.

The programme is set to supply the Polish Armed Forces with ground-based air defence system to counter cruise missiles and fighter jets at ranges over 40km, the UK MoD said. Under the deal, dubbed NAREW, Poland is set to receive more than 1,000 Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles – Extended Range (CAMM-ER) and more than 100 iLaunchers.

‘The agreement also covers extensive technology transfer ensuring the production of rockets and launchers in Poland,’ Mariusz Błaszcza, Poland's defence minister noted on X (formerly Twitter).

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MBDA UK managing director Chris Allam echoed this stating: ‘The transfer of technology in NAREW will be transformative for Poland’s sovereign complex weapons capabilities, and we are deeply proud of the trust placed in us by Poland and excited for the future of our partnership with PGZ.’

A culmination of years of close collaboration between the two countries, the programme will strengthen Poland’s military capabilities, the UK MoD noted in a statement.

‘In addition to the air defence launchers and missiles, the partnership will see the UK support Poland to be able to manufacture complex missiles on Polish soil in years to come, further increasing regional security through greater supply chain flexibility,’ the ministry said.

The most recent contract adds to the $2.3 billion deal inked earlier this year between the two nations which entailed the UK equipping 22 Polish air defence batteries with the standard CAMM weapon and launchers. 

NAREW is part of an extensive layered air defence system that will use MBDA’s CAMM-ER missile, jointly developed by the UK and Italy. The system will also utilise Polish radars, vehicles and the Northrop Grumman Integrated Battle Command System.

Poland's Miecznik-class frigates also operate a variant of CAMM, so the procurement of the new missiles and launcher systems are set to bolster the country’s wider anti-air capability across the land and naval domains.

Analysis by Shephard Defence Insight valued the Polish defence procurement at upwards of $16.2 billion in the last 12 months alone. Already NATO’s third biggest spender as a proportion to its GDP, Poland’s military spending is forecasted to reach 3% of GDP in 2023 according to its current budget.