The Polish manufacturer Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) has signed a contract with Raytheon Polska to produce 48 M903 launchers, components of the Patriot air defense systems, under Poland’s Wisła program.
The deal is valued at €1.13 billion, with deliveries slated for 2027-2029. It will see HSW, a member of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) consortium, working with sister companies as subcontractors, including Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów and Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne, to manufacture launcher components.
For this contract, HSW has set up a production and assembly center that complies with Raytheon’s standards. According to the manufacturer, this facility could eventually become a maintenance hub for M903 launchers.
“This agreement strengthens our strategic partnership with Raytheon and highlights the close cooperation between the Polish and US governments,” said Arkadiusz Bąk, a member of the PGZ management board. “The successful implementation of Phase II will be a milestone in enhancing Poland’s airspace security and reinforcing NATO’s eastern flank.”
Other PGZ companies are involved in the production of support containers, transport vehicles, and missile and radar system elements, the consortium said in a statement.
A full MIM-104 Patriot battery comprises two generators, a detection and tracking radar system, a command-and-control station, an antenna mast group, and up to eight M903 launcher stations containing four PAC-2 or 16 PAC-3 interceptor missiles.
In March 2018, the Polish Ministry of Defense acquired two Patriot PAC-3 air defense batteries from the United States. The first one was delivered to the Polish Air Force in December 2022. The 48 new launchers, along with the additional elements that should be acquired from US manufacturers, would provide Poland with at least eight additional Patriot PAC-3 batteries.
The Patriot systems are highly sought after by European military forces because of their ability to intercept ballistic missiles, extensively used by Russia during its invasion of Ukraine to target both military and civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine, which received several Patriot batteries in April 2022, is also looking into localizing the production of different system components. The Ukrainian Air Force stressed the nation’s need to acquire 25 Patriot systems to comprehensively fortify its air defense network.
