The Polish government has signed a €4.6 billion procurement contract for the supply of British-designed ground-based air defense systems, Britain’s Defence Ministry announced on Tuesday.
In the largest commercial deal agreed between Poland and the U.K., Poland will receive 1,000 Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles – Extended Range (CAMM-ER) and 100 launchers designed by Britain and manufactured by pan-European arms firm MBDA.
“This is another crucial step forward for our historic defense ties with Poland, supplying next-generation air defense capabilities to act as a clear deterrent to our adversaries,” U.K. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said.
“As historic defense partners and NATO Allies, the UK stands with Poland to defend NATO’s eastern flank and support Ukraine against Russian aggression,” Britain’s defense ministry added.
[pp id=64053]
The new air defense system will be capable of launching missiles against aerial threats such as cruise missiles and fighter jets covering a range of more than 40 kilometers.
The agreement has been signed between MBDA’s U.K. division and Polish defense giant PGZ.
According to Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak, the agreement also covers the transfer of technology to ensure that the rockets and launchers will be produced in Poland.
MBDA is a joint venture between France’s Airbus, Britain’s BAE Systems, and Italy’s Leonardo.
Commenting on the deal, the company said it would be “transformative for Poland’s complex weapons potential.”
