British, Polish firms sign $5 billion deal for Poland’s air defense

LONDON — The U.K. arm of missile-maker MBDA and the Polish defense company PGZ have signed a contract to work on the next phase of Poland’s anti-air missile program, the two countries announced Wednesday.

The deal, worth more than worth more than £4 billion (U.S. $5 billion) will lead to the delivery of 1,000 missiles and more than 100 launchers for Poland’s Narew weapon system. The Polish program is based on MBDA’s extended-range variant of the Common Anti-Air Modular Missile, jointly developed by the U.K. and Italy.

The British Defence Ministry said the contract is the largest commercial agreement ever secured between London and Warsaw. It deal involves a technology transfer program that will eventually see Poland assemble its own Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles, or CAMM.

The two countries are also considering more joint missile development efforts, including a medium-range version of CAMM.

The latest contract is in addition to a £1.9 billion deal signed by the two nations earlier this year that will see the U.K. equip 22 Polish air defense batteries with the standard CAMM weapon and launchers, under a program called PILICA+.

The Polish government hired PGZ as the prime contractor to build the Narew system in September using the extended-range CAMM and launcher systems. The Narew program will also include locally built radars, vehicles and other equipment, tied together by Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Battle Command System.

That CAMM variant was earmarked for use on a fleet of frigates under construction in Poland using Babcock International’s Arrowhead 140 design, which itself is being built for the British Royal Navy.

Narew is part of an extensive layered air defense system under construction by Poland as the nation rapidly bolsters its capabilities amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of neighboring Ukraine.

Other air defense layers include the standard version CAMM for the short-range PILICA+ system as well as the Patriot missile for the Wisla program.

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