Poland acquires 25 Wizjer mini-UAVs
Wizjer is a low noise emission system with a flight time of more than three hours (photo – Polish MND)
The Polish MND has announced on 29 December the acquisition of 25 Wizjer mini-UAV systems to equip the Polish Army. The contract is worth PLN 174 million ($42 .9million) with the deliveries scheduled from 2024 to 2027.
With a design developed by the Air Force Institute of Technology in accordance with NATO standardisation agreements, the UAVs will be manufactured by a national consortium consisting of the Polish Armaments Group and the Military Aviation Works in Łódź and Bydgoszcz.
The agreement states that each of the 25 sets will include four aerial platforms with electro-optical EO/IR payloads, a ground control station, a data terminal and a portable video terminal.
According to a press release from the MND, Wizjer was designed to be used in ground and special forces operations in order to detect, recognise, identify and indicate targets’ coordinates.
It is a low noise emission system with a flight time of more than three hours and an operating range of up to 35 km. Wizjer takes off automatically with the use of a composite launch tube and lands with a parachute and an airbag.
Poland has also acquired six new small UAVs in 2021 under a PLN4.6 million ($1.19 million) deal between the MND and Asseco Poland.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Land Warfare
-
What does the proliferation of larger platforms mean for the UGV market?
A surge in heavier, combat-focused uncrewed ground vehicles is emerging, although operational demand remains uncertain.
-
Fenris 6x6 emerges as first joint vehicle from John Cockerill-Arquus partnership
The new 6x6 wheeled fire support vehicle is armed with a 105mm NATO-standard high-pressure rifled gun, positioning it for the French Army and wider potential allied requirements.
-
Do heavy IFV designs make sense on the modern battlefield?
Even with additional armour, many current-generation infantry fighting vehicles are highly vulnerable to enemy fire in the contemporary operating environment. Are heavier platforms based on tank designs for use in this role the answer?
-
Uncrewed ground vehicles put to the test as NATO eyes autonomous shift
The European Land Robot Trials are influenced by NATO researchers seeking to create uncrewed ground vehicle standards for allied Western forces working in multinational task forces.
-
Russia tries to keep BMP-3 relevant with new weapon options
New iterations of a 57mm gun system highlight a push towards multi-role turrets capable of countering armour, drones and aerial targets.
-
More details revealed on Kosovo’s Humvee Hawkeye 105mm order
The agreement points to growing international interest in mobile and survivable artillery systems, with further orders and export opportunities already emerging.