Polish media talked about the problems with the new Piorun MANPADS
The Polish company Mesko SA (part of the PGZ association) cannot supply the Polish Defense Ministry with the first batch of Piorun 150 MANPADS, due to the failures that were testing the complexes in April and June, the newspaper writes Republic.
The company has already owed the military department more than 20 million zlotys as a penalty for disrupting contractual terms.
The supply contract for 420 launchers and Piorun 1300 missile launchers was concluded at the end of 2016. Initially it was assumed that the new MANPADS would be better than the American "Stinger" because of the use of "unique technical solutions" by Polish designers.
However, an inspection carried out at the enterprise concluded that the products of Mesko’s enterprise “represent a danger to the life and health of both workers and military personnel”.
The report says that during the military tests at launch a rocket engine chamber exploded, and only by luck, the missile’s warhead did not detonate. In connection with this incident, the entire party was recalled.
The inspectors measured the thickness of the engine chamber walls and found out that “the walls of twelve engines from 81 (that is, 15%) turned out to be thinner walls.
Commission members also found that the factory controllers lacked adequate measuring equipment. All measurements are made, as they say, "on the knee."
Subsequent factory tests (in April and June of the current year) also failed. The problems are the same - the explosions of the engine chambers. All defects are due to manufacturing defects. But not only. According to the report, Mesko technologists have not been able to create “an efficient production technology for the Piorun rocket engine chamber and fuel for it for over 3 years.”
According to the newspaper, employees of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau began work at the enterprise. It is assumed that in the manufacture of products could be used previously discarded components.
The company has already owed the military department more than 20 million zlotys as a penalty for disrupting contractual terms.
The supply contract for 420 launchers and Piorun 1300 missile launchers was concluded at the end of 2016. Initially it was assumed that the new MANPADS would be better than the American "Stinger" because of the use of "unique technical solutions" by Polish designers.
However, an inspection carried out at the enterprise concluded that the products of Mesko’s enterprise “represent a danger to the life and health of both workers and military personnel”.
The report says that during the military tests at launch a rocket engine chamber exploded, and only by luck, the missile’s warhead did not detonate. In connection with this incident, the entire party was recalled.
The inspectors measured the thickness of the engine chamber walls and found out that “the walls of twelve engines from 81 (that is, 15%) turned out to be thinner walls.
Commission members also found that the factory controllers lacked adequate measuring equipment. All measurements are made, as they say, "on the knee."
Subsequent factory tests (in April and June of the current year) also failed. The problems are the same - the explosions of the engine chambers. All defects are due to manufacturing defects. But not only. According to the report, Mesko technologists have not been able to create “an efficient production technology for the Piorun rocket engine chamber and fuel for it for over 3 years.”
According to the newspaper, employees of the Central Anti-Corruption Bureau began work at the enterprise. It is assumed that in the manufacture of products could be used previously discarded components.
Information