Works are to be completed by the end of December 2022, according to the Pentagon. The date coincides with the date of delivery of the “Wisła” system to fulfill its first part. The contract will most likely cover the main parts of the Patriot system and will include launcher elements, command elements including ECS stations and sector radars.
The contractor is the American Raytheon company. According to the Pentagon, the US$1.5 billion dollar deal is a modification of the previously signed contract, as part of which the Patriot units are being delivered.
The contract signed by the Pentagon concerns the first part of the “Wisła” program. It is an important step in creating an aerial defense system. This first part contains investments worth US$ 4.75 bilion: Poland will receive two Patriot batteries containing 16 M903 launchers, 208 missiles and four sector radars including a system designed for combat management elements IBSC.
Negotiations of the second part of the program
The Polish Ministry of National Defense is also negotiating the second part of the program. It foresees an additional purchase of six batteries with omni-directional radars. The other two batteries will be modernized and receive new stations.
“Wisła” will also receive low-cost missiles (potentially SkyCeptor) and Polish radars of early detection will be integrated with the IBSC. The second phase of the program foresees a much broader transfer of technologies into the Polish industry in relation to all elements of the system.
