Poland signs 3 billion PLN Piorun missile contract and plans sovereign satellite network

Air defense procurement

On 11 September 2026, during the XXXIV International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO) in Kielce, the Polish Armament Agency and defense manufacturer Mesko concluded an executive contract valued at approximately 3 billion PLN. The agreement covers several thousand PPZR Piorun short-range anti-aircraft missiles and launch mechanisms, alongside integrated logistics and training packages. It serves as the initial executive order under a broader framework agreement worth over 8 billion PLN, which the Armament Agency and Mesko signed on 24 August 2026 in Skarżysko-Kamienna. Deliveries of the systems to the Polish Armed Forces are scheduled to occur between 2026 and 2030, with financing provided through the European Union SAFE instrument.

System capabilities and export reach

The PPZR Piorun is a man-portable air-defense system designed to engage low-flying aircraft, helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles at ranges up to 6.5 kilometers. Developed as a modernization of the earlier Grom system, Piorun entered operational service with the Polish military in 2018 under an original procurement contract signed in 2016. Launchers and missiles provided from Polish armed forces inventory have been deployed by Ukrainian forces against Russian aerial assets. International interest in the system has grown, with orders and purchasing agreements spanning Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Estonia, Belgium, and the United States. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk addressed the economic return of the program during his speech at the exhibition.

“We are proud of the Pioruns. Also thanks to SAFE, Piorun has become an export product. Latvia, Lithuania, Norway are partners who, and for really substantial money, will purchase Pioruns.”

Framework agreement8

Executive contract3

Framework agreement

8 billion PLN

Executive contract

3 billion PLN

Data from the article text

Satellite initiative and dual-use strategy

In addition to the missile contract, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa signed a cooperation agreement with satellite company ICEYE at the Kielce exhibition. The partnership focuses on satellite technologies and data acquisition systems intended for defense and reconnaissance tasks. Pointing to the collaboration with ICEYE and its chief executive officer Rafał Modrzewski, Tusk stated that Poland aims to build an autonomous satellite constellation comparable to Starlink. He emphasized that battlefield communications in Ukraine demonstrated the necessity of independent satellite networks, noting that Poland advocated for applying EU SAFE funding to dual-use technologies that serve both civilian and military functions.

“Yes, this is a challenge, this is a dream, but it is not an illusion. We told ourselves that the final outcome of the process that began today can and will be a Polish Starlink.”

Ground vehicle development and commemorative remarks

During his appearance in Kielce, Tusk also revealed "Niedźwiedź" as the official name of Poland's new heavy infantry fighting vehicle. He stated that defense expenditures provide direct development impulses for the domestic economy by channeling national, European, and American defense funds into Polish manufacturing enterprises. The prime minister also observed the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States, recalling the deaths of nearly 3,000 victims, including Polish citizens Józef Grzelak, Scott Kopytko, Bill Krukowski, Alan Tarasiewicz, and Stanley Smagała. Tusk concluded that collective defense solidarity remains the essential foundation of Western security cooperation.