With noticeable regularity, photos published on social networks show the successes of various man-portable surface-to-air missile systems (MANPADS) in the war in Ukraine. The systems used by the APU come from a variety of sources. Until now, the Piorun MANPADS produced in Poland have not attracted much attention from the Western audience. The change in the situation in Ukraine has forced foreign observers to analyze this system in more detail.
As noted in a number of sources, the Piorun MANPADS ("Lightning") is the latest development of the traditional Polish company Mesko. The manufacturer's factory, located in Skarżysko-Kamienna in the south-central part of Poland, has many years of experience in manufacturing shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile systems. Mesko's activity in this area began in the mid-1970s with the licensed production of the 9K32 Strela-2 product. Since the late 1980s, it was planned to replace it with a more modern 9K38 Igla complex, which was supposed to eliminate the numerous shortcomings of the Arrow and, in addition to improving the characteristics, also be able to fight frontally approaching targets.
Piorun MANPADS in combat position
According to Western experts, ambitious goals led to numerous problems already in the late 1970s. As a result, the program progressed in several stages and much slower than the initial plans. Only in 1983, the USSR Armed Forces received the first 9M39 missiles with significantly greater fault tolerance and firing range. The mentioned delays meant that political events related to the fall of the Iron Curtain overshadowed the project, and by the early 1990s the Polish Armed Forces did not have modern MANPADS.
To fill the ever-growing gap, the development and production of new weapons based on the Needle began in 1992. The first MANPADS, known as Grom ("Thunder"), were delivered by the Polish Armed Forces in 1995. The production of "Thunder", including for export, is still being carried out quite actively: in December 2021, Mesko announced the delivery of the 3000th complex.
Work on the modernization of the MANPADS "Thunder" began in 2010. The goal of the five-year project was to increase the target tracking capabilities and enhance the missile's striking characteristics. The external parameters of the launcher (PU) and the rocket, such as weight, length and diameter, have not changed much. Rather, the homing head (homing) underwent revision. Thanks to the integration of new software, the GPS has received better noise immunity and the ability to detect heat sources from a greater distance.
In addition, now in the process of aiming, the gunner can choose the type of target (airplane or helicopter). Additionally, due to the new optics, which are attached to the MANPADS using a specially designed node, the detection and tracking of targets have improved. The enlarged battery container allows you to cover the increased energy demand. The aforementioned increase in the damaging effect is the increased mass of the warhead by 550 grams and the newly developed non-contact fuse.
The Piorun MANPADS guided missile, as well as the Thunder rocket that served as the base, has a 72 mm diameter body. In its front part there is a GOS with an attached power supply and mechanics. Immediately behind the head is a demolition charge with a pre-formed fragmentation shell, then the starting and main engines. The mass of the rocket, like that of the Thunder, is 10.3 kg, which together with the PU gives the total mass of the complex at 18.5 kg. Despite the unchanged dimensions, the characteristics of the rocket were improved due to modern production processes and a modified solid-fuel propulsion system. Compared to the "Thunder", the Piorun MANPADS have an increased firing range of almost 1000 m, and the maximum height of the target is 500 m.
Poprad short-range self-propelled SAM
Despite some delays in the program, in December 2016, the Armed Forces of Ukraine ordered the first batch of 420 PU and 1300 missiles. Since then, Molniya has also been integrated into the Poprad and Pilica short-range self-propelled air defense systems.
As it became known on February 11, 2022, the Pentagon also ordered an unspecified number of Piorun MANPADS for the needs of the US Army. At the same time, Mesko said that the Polish government approved the delivery of "Lightning" to Ukraine. According to Western sources, the delivery was carried out in a hurry and supplemented the "Thunder" already available at the APU. How many complexes have since been transferred to the APU is not reported. Western observers call the photos recently published by the National Guard of Ukraine as confirmation of the presence of this MANPADS in Ukrainian combat formations. In particular, it is claimed that on March 6, 2022, a Russian Su-25 was shot down with the help of Piorun MANPADS near Kharkov.
Tactical and technical characteristics (manufacturer's information)
Piorun MANPADS Kit
- target hitting height: 10 - 4000 m
- maximum firing range: 6500 m
- the mass of the complex in combat position: 18.5 kg.
- rocket weight: 10.3 kg
- rocket diameter: 72 mm
- maximum speed: 660 m/s
- average marching speed: 580 m/s
According to the materials of the resource soldat-und-technik.de
