In March 2018, the Polish Ministry of Defense confirmed the purchase of two Patriot PAC-3+ air defense batteries from the United States for $4.75 billion, after complicated negotiations, including on the compensation planned under this contract, the initial amount of which was set at 10. $5 billion had been estimated billion dollars by the American government.
Since then, Poland has placed an order with MBDA UK to supply 44 iLauncher launchers and several hundred CAMM missiles to equip itself with multi-layered air defense. [Common Anti-Air Modular Missile] for 2.15 billion euros under the Pilica+ program. Entrusted to the PGZ Group, it envisages the production of 22 batteries with a range of up to 25 km.
However, Warsaw does not want to stop there. In fact, according to a statement released on June 28 by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency [DSCA]responsible for the export of US military equipment, recommended that Congress approve the sale of an integrated air and missile defense system to Poland [IBCS – Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System], 48 Patriot M903 launchers, 12 LTAMDS radars and 644 PAC 3 MSE interceptor missiles. All for around $15 billion.
The department has a 48-minute Patriot system with a range of 600 PAC 3 MSE. To ensure that the Polish system does not work properly. See US Congress for more information. pic.twitter.com/mhnym9X9ws
— Mariusz Blaszczak (@mblaszczak) June 28, 2023
“This is an extremely important reinforcement of our air defense system. We are now awaiting approval from the US Congress,” Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak commented on Twitter.
These 48 launchers [avec leurs équipements associés] are sufficient to allow the Polish Air Force to deploy at least eight additional Patriot PAC-3+ batteries. What, since the two are already ordered [l’une a été livrée au 37e escadron de défense aérienne de Sochaczew-Bielice en décembre 2022] will make Poland one of the main users of this system after the United States.
It should be noted that Poland has not joined the European Sky Shield initiative, launched by Germany within the framework of NATO, which aims to pool member countries around an air defense system by jointly acquiring the necessary capabilities.