The Armaments Agency of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland reported that on April 28, 2023, it signed a contract worth 1.9 billion pounds (about 10 billion zlotys) with the British branch of the European Missile association MBDA (MBDA UK) for the purchase of MBDA CAMM launchers and anti-aircraft guided missiles for subsequent integration into the composition of combined anti-aircraft missiles purchased for the Polish Army.-Pilica+ cannon complexes.
Serial self-propelled iLauncher launcher of MBDA CAMM anti-aircraft guided missiles on the chassis of the Polish military vehicle Jelcz P882.57 (8x8) in execution for the Polish Narew and Pilica+ anti-aircraft complexes, October 2022 (c) zbiam.plUnder the contract with MBDA UK, 44 iLauncher launchers (two per Pilica+ battery) and "several hundred" CAMM (Common Anti-air Modular Missile) missiles with a firing range of up to 25 km will be delivered to Poland, deliveries are scheduled for 2025-2029.
According to the MBDA press release, this is the largest purchase of short-range SAMM missiles in ground execution by a European NATO country.
The Pilica+ anti-aircraft missile system combines in its battery two launchers with SAMM anti-aircraft guided missiles and six upgraded 23-mm twin-mounted ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G anti-aircraft artillery systems (based on the licensed ZU-23) with two-shot launchers of anti-aircraft guided missiles of the Polish portable air defense system Grom/Piorun, united by a common fire control system, including the Bistra c AFAR air target detection radar. The ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G installations on wheeled carriages are transported in the back of a military truck Jelcz 442.32 (4x4) of Polish production and are capable of firing both from the ground and from the car. The eight-container vertical launcher iLauncher SAMM missiles should be made on the chassis of the Polish car Jelcz P882.57 (8x8).
Simultaneously with the signing of the contract with MBDA UK, the Armaments Agency of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland signed a direct contract worth 3 billion zlotys (720 million dollars) with the Polish consortium PGZ-Pilica+, which is the developer and manufacturer of the Pilica+ complex, for the supply of 16 Pilica+ complexes (batteries) to the Polish Army in the period 2025-2029, as well as to upgrade to the Pilica+ variant of six previously ordered PSR-A Pilica complexes (batteries) (using only the ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G installations, four complexes were delivered from the end of 2020 to the end of 2022), one of the latter is supposed to be used as a training one. Thus, it is planned to have a total of 22 batteries of the Pilica+ complex. The consortium, headed by the Polish State Defense Industry association Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), includes enterprises ZM Tarnów, PIT-Radwar, PCO, Jelcz, Mesko, Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy CTM, WZU and WZE. Earlier in March 2023, under a separate contract worth more than 1.1 billion zlotys (up to $ 270 million), the PGZ-Pilica+ consortium was ordered 22 mobile Bistra detection radars to complete the specified 22 batteries of the Pilica+ complex. These radars are carried out on the chassis of the Polish wheeled armored vehicle Żubr-P (4x4).
The purchase of SAMM anti-aircraft missiles for Pilica+ complexes is Poland's second major contract for these missiles. Earlier in November 2021, the Polish Ministry of National Defense selected the anti-aircraft missile system based on CAMM anti-aircraft guided missiles (a variant of the British Sky Sabre complex ) presented by MBDA UK as the basis for the purchase of a promising short- and medium-range SAM under the Polish Narew program. In November 2021, a corresponding intergovernmental agreement was signed by the Ministers of Defense of Great Britain and Poland, and in April 2022, the Polish consortium PGZ-Narew, led by the same PGZ association, signed a contract with MBDA UK in the amount of 1.65 billion zloty ($ 400 million) for the purchase of the first two sets of ground-based anti-aircraft missile for the Polish armed forces. a short-range complex in a "transitional configuration" with SAMM missiles (that is, a total of a set of one battery, including two complexes). In Poland, these complexes are called Mala Narew ("Small Narew"). Both complexes were delivered to Poland already in October 2022 and in early 2023.
Performed by Mala Narew, each complex includes three self-propelled eight-container vertical iLaunchers launchers with SAMM missiles, three transport-loading vehicles, a Polish Sola-M fire detection and control radar (to be replaced by a promising Polish Sajna c AFAR radar in the future) and a command post (also of Polish design). Each launcher is also equipped with an electron-optical station on a lifting mast for detecting aerial targets in autonomous or passive modes (launchers for the Narew and Pilica+ complexes are unified). PGZ-Narew is responsible for the integration of all elements of the complex. All elements are installed on the chassis of Polish military vehicles Jelcz (8 ×8), except for the radar complex, which is also performed on the armored chassis Żubr-P (4x4).
In the future, it is planned to introduce modified SAMM-ER medium-range missiles (up to 40 km) into the complex ("Full Narew"). In total, Poland plans to purchase 23 batteries (i.e. 46 complexes) under the Narew program by 2035, the cost of the program is estimated from 30 to 60 billion zlotys (from 7.5 to 15 billion dollars). It is also stated that it intends to localize the production of SAMM series missiles in Poland. These missiles should also be used as part of the Sea Ceptor naval air defense system on three Miecznik frigates planned for construction for the Polish Navy.
The CAMM (Common Anti-air Modular Missile) anti-aircraft guided missiles were created during the implementation of a contract issued by the British Ministry of Defense in December 2011 to MBDA UK worth 483 million pounds for the full-scale development of this missile and for the creation of land-based and ship-based complexes using it. The SAMM missile is actually a variant of the AIM-132 ASRAAM short-range air-to-air missile, but with the replacement of the infrared homing head with an active radar and with the introduction of radio correction via a two-channel datalink. The SAMM rocket has a mass of 99 kg, a length of 3.2 m and a body diameter of 166 mm. The maximum firing range of the SAMM is up to 25 km, the marching speed is about M = 3.
Part of the Polish combined anti-aircraft missile and cannon complex Pilica (Pilica+), a 23-mm twin anti-aircraft artillery installation ZUR-23-2KG Jodek-G with a two-shot launcher of anti-aircraft guided missiles of the Polish portable air defense system Grom/Piorun on a Polish-made military truck Jelcz 442.32 (4x4) used for transportation (with) Ministry of National Defense of Poland.