Estonia receives Piorun MANPADS
Poland’s MESKO has completed delivery of Piorun short-range man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS) to Estonia fulfilling a deal signed in September 2022.
At the time of the Estonian contract signature it was announced that it was for 300 missiles and 100 launchers.
Piorun, described as a ‘deep modernisation’ of Mesko’s PZR Grom MANPADS, has been in Polish service since 1995. Poland signed a contract US$220 million contract for 1,300 missiles and 420 launchers in 2016 to be delivered in 2017–22 (later delayed to 2023).
On 23 June 2022, Poland announced it had increased its Piorun requirement to 3,500 missiles and 600 launchers.
The system has also been in use in Ukraine where, according to the company, ‘it has proven its reliability [and has been a] successful weapon systems in the Ukrainian war’.
The company has developed Piorun+ with an increased range of 10,000m (3,500m more than the baseline missile) and a higher maximum effective altitude. It would also include upgraded detection and guidance system with an improved target detection capability and better resistance to active and passive jamming.
The next step will be the Piorun 2 missile, which was still in development as of mid-2022, potentially resulting in a vehicle- or soldier-launched missile with a range of 15km.
More from Land Warfare
-
US Army chooses Textron Systems and Griffon Aerospace in final showdown for FTUAS
The US Army plans to procure a Future Tactical UAS (FTUAS) to replace the Textron Systems RQ-7Bv2 Shadow tactical UAV currently in service with the US Army's Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs). The FTUAS is being developed under the wider Future UAS (FUAS) programme.
-
British Army’s Challenger 3 undertakes qualification firings in Germany
The Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT), which will be delivered to the British Army by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) under an £800 million (US$1 billion) contract, will stay in service beyond 2040.
-
Rheinmetall wins communications deal that could be worth up to €400 million
The systems have been purchased under a special fund which has already been tapped into for the purchase of 60 CH-47F Block II Chinook helicopters worth up to €8 billion (US$8.7 billion) and thousands of Rheinmetall Caracal airmobile special operations vehicles worth €1.9 billion.
-
Italy weighs up the challenge of its tank replacement plans
The Russia–Ukraine war has continued to be the place the world’s militaries have been watching for lessons on both the EW and uncrewed front. Its conventional war aspect, however, has also been catching the attention of leaders.