Poland a step closer to purchase of surface to air missile system

The Polish Ministry of Defense has chosen two companies, with which it will negotiate further in one of the largest modernization program in the history of the Polish Army, Polish news portal TVN24 said.

“The Weapons Inspectorate announces that the technical dialogue stage of the purchase of a mid-range surface to air missile system (System Wisła) has come to an end,” the Weapons Inspectorate (IU) of the Polish Ministry of Defense (MON) stated.

“As a result of undertaken analysis, according to accepted criteria, two entities will be invited to the next step of the proceedings: EUROSAM consortium (Thales and MBDA – France) with SAMP/T system and Raytheon (USA) with PATRIOT system,” IU wrote in its decision.

MON explained that is it interested in systems that are already operational and used by NATO countries. These conditions eliminated the Israeli system, David’s Sling, which is in use only in Israel and the joint German, Italian and US system MEADS, which is in a developmental stage.

The purchase of the mid-range surface to air missile system, which will be operating in the Polish Army as Wisła system is the most expensive part of the Polish Army modernization program for 2013-2022. The cost of six batteries is estimated at PLN 40 billion.

According to the plan, the first batteries should be operational in 2018 or 2019.