Current status and development prospects of the ground component of air defense of Poland
For a number of reasons, I have not touched upon the topic of the current state of air defense in European countries for quite some time. The publication forced me to break the silence: The state and prospects of Polish air defense - appeared on the Military Review on December 31, 2024. In this article, the very prolific author Ryabov Kirill was unable to reveal the topic of the state and prospects Defense Poland, made a number of inaccuracies, and in some places distorted the facts. Also, some readers spoke out very vividly in the comments, which also became one of the reasons that prompted me to take on this work.
Soviet-made anti-aircraft missile systems
I will not touch upon the irrelevant structure, staffing levels, organizational components and locations of the Polish air defense units, a significant part of which is in the process of reorganization and rearmament, cited in Kirill's publication. I will move straight to the technical aspect and the most controversial statements made by Kirill Ryabov regarding the material part.
Cyril writes:
"The Polish air defense developed most actively during the Cold War. Poland received a large amount of various Soviet-made equipment and weapons. No attempts were made to independently manufacture the necessary products or to search for alternative suppliers.
At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the supply of SAM systems from the USSR ceased. As a result, Poland was forced to abandon its plans to modernize its air defense. The existing models, often not the newest, remained in service. A significant part of them still have to be used, despite all the difficulties and limited potential.
The most widespread system in Poland's air defense system is still the Soviet product S-125. This equipment was acquired during the seventies and has since become hopelessly outdated. In the late nineties, such an air defense system was independently modernized as part of the Newa-CS project. Then, part of the electronics were replaced, other solutions were implemented, and the system was made self-propelled. At present, the troops have up to 12 S-125 divisions."
At the turn of the 1980s and 1990s, the supply of SAM systems from the USSR ceased. As a result, Poland was forced to abandon its plans to modernize its air defense. The existing models, often not the newest, remained in service. A significant part of them still have to be used, despite all the difficulties and limited potential.
The most widespread system in Poland's air defense system is still the Soviet product S-125. This equipment was acquired during the seventies and has since become hopelessly outdated. In the late nineties, such an air defense system was independently modernized as part of the Newa-CS project. Then, part of the electronics were replaced, other solutions were implemented, and the system was made self-propelled. At present, the troops have up to 12 S-125 divisions."
The early S-125s mentioned by Kirill Ryabov with launchers for two missiles, which entered service in 1971, were decommissioned in the early 1990s. As for the lack of attempts to independently manufacture "the necessary products or alternative suppliers", we will leave this on the author's conscience, but the S-125M1A SAM systems, modernized to the level of "Newa-SC", are no longer the basis of Polish air defense facilities and have not been on permanent combat duty for a long time.
During the Warsaw Pact, the Polish military highly valued the "one hundred twenty-fifth" and were in no hurry to part with this system after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact. Compared to the S-75, the low-altitude SAM was cheaper, simpler and safer to operate. In order to extend the service life of the S-125M1A, which is in the Polish National Air Defense Forces, for at least another 20 years, a program for the gradual improvement of combat and operational characteristics was launched in the early 1990s.
In total, 20 anti-aircraft missile systems were upgraded to the "Newa-SC" level during the two stages of modernization. At the same time, in one of the unnamed countries of the former USSR (apparently, we are talking about Ukraine), repairs were made to the 5V27 SAM, with the replacement of the solid fuel of the first and second stages of the engine.
In order to increase reliability, reduce weight, dimensions and energy consumption, employees of the Warsaw University of Defense Technology together with specialists from the Military Electronics Plant in Zelenka, during the work carried out in the second half of the 1990s, transferred most of the electronics from vacuum tube devices to a solid-state element base. Thanks to the use of digital technologies and new operating algorithms, it was possible to improve noise immunity and increase the speed of information processing.
In order to increase the mobility of the Newa-SC systems, the 5P73 launchers were transferred to the tracked chassis of the WZT-1 armored repair and recovery vehicle, which has much in common with the base tank T-55, and the antenna post with the SAM guidance equipment was installed on a four-axle wheeled chassis MAZ-543P (previously it was used for launchers of the R-17 OTR).
For each anti-aircraft missile division, several well-prepared engineering positions were prepared in its area of responsibility, where deployments were periodically carried out for training purposes.
In the past, the Newa-SC divisions regularly carried out training launches at radio-controlled targets at the Ustka training ground, located on the Baltic Sea coast.
The low-altitude Newa-SC systems were planned to be used until approximately 2026, after which they would be replaced by the new British-Polish Narew air defense systems. However, in the second half of 2022, the Polish Defense Ministry decided to intensify the supply of Narew air defense systems and deliver the Newa-SC systems to Ukraine, which were to be written off. According to unconfirmed official information, Warsaw transferred at least 20 launchers to Kyiv. Considering that the system includes at least three launchers, this may mean that Ukraine could have received at least 9 systems. Currently, more than half of the divisions previously armed with Newa-SC air defense systems are in the process of reorganization and retraining for new equipment.
According to reference data, in addition to the Newa-SC SAM system with solid-fuel SAMs, the 36th Anti-Aircraft Missile Division still has the S-200C Wega SAM system with liquid SAMs, which is a Soviet long-range system modernized by Polish specialists. Work on restoring and improving the characteristics of the S-200VE Vega was carried out by WZU. The modernized system was officially accepted into operation in 2002. During the overhaul and upgrade, part of the electronics was transferred to a modern element base at that time, and the control system was digitized. According to unconfirmed data, communication between the main elements of the system after the upgrade is carried out via a radio channel, which allegedly made it possible to abandon the K9M cabin and cable lines.
The location of the main elements of the S-200S SAM system has not changed. The position of the complex is still on the Baltic Sea coast, 8 km from the town of Mrzeżyno. However, for a long period of time, no activity has been observed at the launch sites, the missiles are not refueled and are not installed on the "guns".
In 2018, Polish sources wrote that the Air Force command had initiated another program to repair and upgrade the S-200C air defense missile system. It was claimed that the only system remaining in service would receive a modernized target illumination radar, restored 5P72VE launchers, and also “a number of other elements of the system" The contractor for the contract, worth approximately $12 million, was to be the Wojskowe Zakłady Uzbrojenia enterprise in Grudziadz.
It was not possible to find information confirming that the latest upgrade of the Polish Vega was actually carried out. It can be assumed that elements of the S-200C complex and about two dozen B-880E missiles could also have been transferred to Ukraine.
Self-propelled air defense missile systems of Soviet production
Speaking about the Polish air defense forces, Kirill writes:
"The military air defense also continues to use Soviet products. At the beginning of 2024, it had about 20 short-range SAM systems "Kub" and at least 60 "Osa-AK" products."
It is quite obvious that the author here presents unreliable data taken from dubious sources, and does not understand the difference between a self-propelled launcher and a complex, and also has absolutely no information regarding the creation and production of Polish MANPADS.
Between 1974 and 1986, Poland received four regimental sets of the Kub-M and Kub-M3 medium-range self-propelled air defense missile systems. The anti-aircraft missile regiment included five fire batteries (complexes) and a control battery, which had P-15, P-18, P-40 radar stations, a PRV-16 mobile radio altimeter, and a K-1 Krab control cabin.
The firing battery included: a self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance unit (SURN), four self-propelled launchers (SPU), a target designation receiving cabin (TDC) and transport and loading vehicles on the chassis of a ZIL-131 vehicle with a special hydraulic lift for reloading missiles.
After the end of the Cold War, the Polish Kub SAM systems did not retire. They continued to serve, and some of the newest systems underwent several modernization programs in the 1990s and 2000s, the purpose of which was to extend their service life and improve their combat and operational characteristics. The modernization allowed the Polish Kub systems, manufactured in the early 1980s, to remain in service for about 40 years.
First of all, the self-propelled reconnaissance and guidance units (SURN) 1S91M3 were upgraded, in the radar complex of which most of the electronic units were replaced. Instead of the outdated television-optical sight, a modern camera with a night channel was installed, the crews now have new monitors and communication equipment. The outdated Soviet two-coordinate radar stations P-15, P-18 and P-40, which worked together with the PRV-16 radio altimeter, in the control battery were replaced by three-coordinate radars NUR-22 and NUR-15M, developed and produced in Poland.
A number of modernized Kub-M3 SAM systems served until recently. However, the weak point of the remaining mobile medium-range SAM systems was the 3M9M3E missiles, the guaranteed service life of which had long expired. In this regard, Polish developers, together with foreign companies, conducted research on the possibility of replacing the 3M9M3E SAMs with other missiles with semi-active radar guidance of Western manufacture. In particular, the upgraded naval SAMs RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, RIM-162 ESSM, as well as the Aspide 2000 and SL-AMRAAM missiles were considered.
However, the Polish MoD leadership decided that there was no point in indefinitely extending the service life of the old Soviet air defense systems, and the proposed modernization options were not developed. In 2024, it became known that the Polish military intended to abandon the Kub-M3 air defense missile system. Almost simultaneously, information was received that more than 20 2P25M3 self-propelled launchers had arrived in Ukraine, apparently transferred by Poland and the Czech Republic.
In the 1970s and 1980s, 64 Osa-AK/AKM short-range mobile air defense systems on a universal wheeled floating chassis were delivered to Poland. About 20 years ago, the Osa-AK systems were decommissioned, and the newer and more advanced Osa-AKM systems were overhauled and modernized.
The modernized version, developed by Wojskowe Zakłady Uzbenia SA, was designated "Osa-AKM-P1" Żądło ("Osa-P"). The work was carried out by Wojskowe Zakłady Uzbroje in Grudziądz.
During the modernization of 32 vehicles, the radar equipment was reworked, with a partial transition to a new element base. The noise immunity of the observation station, designed to detect air targets, was increased. The transition of the receiver of the anti-aircraft missile guidance station to digital signal processing made it possible to improve the accuracy and, accordingly, the probability of destruction. New indication means and modern monitors for displaying the air situation were used. A Mark XII national radar interrogator, compliant with NATO standards, and satellite positioning equipment, a new data analysis and collection system were introduced, allowing recording and analyzing the missile guidance process and constant monitoring of critical parameters of the hardware of the complex. The combat vehicle is equipped with a modern air conditioning and heating system, and the level of microwave radiation has been reduced.
A significant innovation that increased the combat potential of the modernized Osa-P air defense system was the introduction of a passive targeting and search optoelectronic station, combined with a laser rangefinder, which allows searching for and firing at targets without turning on the detection radar, which unmasks the system with high-frequency radiation.
The Osa-P SAM system can receive external target designation from the NUR-22 Izabela mobile radar. New digital VHF radio stations with signal encryption are used for communication.
As of 2022, Poland had two regiments armed with the Osa-P SAM system. Each SAM regiment consisted of four SAM batteries and a regimental command post with a control battery. The missile battery includes four combat vehicles and a command post with a low-altitude NUR-22 Izabela radar. Thus, three years ago, the Polish army had about three dozen Osa-P SAM systems.
As with the Kub, the major drawback of the modernized Polish Osa is its old missiles. Today, the existing 9M33M3 SAMs cannot guarantee the necessary reliability and need to be replaced or overhauled.
Due to the high cost and the end of the life cycle of the Osa-P systems, the Błyskawica variant proposed by the Polish Defence Holdings consortium, which envisaged the development and implementation of new missiles, was deemed impractical. Also, modifications with SL-AMRAAM and IRIS-T SL missiles were not implemented.
According to initial plans, the complete decommissioning of the Osa-P combat vehicles was scheduled for 2026, and it is likely that a significant portion of these systems have already been replaced in the troops by new air defense systems and delivered abroad.
Man-portable air defense systems
Kirill writes the following about Polish MANPADS in his article:
“…the troops have at their disposal a large number of different MANPADS, some of which were also supplied from the USSR.”
In the 1970s and 1980s, the Soviet Union did indeed supply Poland with Strela-2M and Igla-1E MANPADS. But the Polish leadership tried to develop its own defense industry and made efforts to produce high-tech defense products at home.
Since 1974, the Mesko company in Skarżysko-Kamienna has been producing first-generation MANPADS under the local designation Strzały-2M under license. Over 15 missiles and about 2500 launchers were produced over 700 years. In the early 2000s, all Strzały-2M MANPADS were withdrawn from active units and transferred to storage. They were finally decommissioned in 2018.
In the second half of the 1980s, several dozen much more advanced Igla-1E MANPADS arrived from the USSR. After military tests, the leadership of the Polish military department initiated the acquisition of a license on preferential terms. The necessary documentation package and technological equipment were received by Poland after the collapse of the Warsaw Pact.
Due to the large stock of Strzały-2M man-portable air defense systems and the end of the Cold War, work on establishing the production of a new generation of MANPADS was initially carried out slowly, and Polish developers introduced a number of their own minor parts. The Grom-I man-portable air defense system officially entered service in 1995. At the first stage, the Polish industry was unable to fully localize the production cycle, and from 1995 to 2004, the Russian company LOMO assisted in mastering the production of individual units and supplied a number of key components (including the seeker). In accordance with the terms of the contract, the Polish side was obliged to use Russian products only for the needs of its own armed forces, not to re-export the systems, and not to transfer them to a third party. However, these agreements were subsequently violated.
Polish gunners-operators of MANPADS "Strzały-2M" and "Grom-I"
In the late 1990s, the first Grom system, made entirely from Polish components, was tested. It is known that the production of Grom-I and Grom MANPADS was carried out in parallel until 2005. As of January 1, 2013, Bumar Amunicja had manufactured over 2000 Grom-I/Grom missiles. Most of them were delivered to the Polish Army, but several hundred were exported to Indonesia, Georgia and Ukraine.
Based on the Grom man-portable system, Meska SA created an improved Piorun system, initially known as Grom-M. Military trials began in 2017, and the Piorun MANPADS was officially adopted into service in 2019.
Conceptually, the Piorun is no different from the Grom-1 and Grom systems, which have been well-mastered by the Polish Army, but the new model has a number of improvements that have increased its combat effectiveness.
Even before the official adoption of the Piorun MANPADS, the Polish Ministry of Defense placed an order for 420 launchers and 1300 missiles. Subsequently, some of the new Polish portable systems were transferred to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and in 2022, production volumes were expanded.
In 2023, it became known that Mesko had created a new Piorun NG SAM capable of hitting air targets at a distance of over 7 km. This was achieved by introducing a new, more efficient solid fuel, which allowed for an increase in flight speed. The missile is equipped with a new multispectral seeker with improved sensitivity and jamming immunity.
Based on all of the above, it can be concluded that there are no more Soviet-made portable anti-aircraft systems left in the Polish armed forces, and the Polish defense industry is capable of not only fully meeting domestic needs, but also organizing large-scale exports of MANPADS.
Anti-aircraft artillery and missile-artillery installations
Although Poland has created a number of very interesting modernization options for the ZU-23 and ZSU-23-4, Kirill for some reason briefly mentioned the Polish anti-aircraft artillery and rocket and artillery installations.
Since 1972, the plant in Tarnow has been producing 23-mm twin towed anti-aircraft mounts ZU-23 under a Soviet license. According to reference data, in 2021, there were more than 300 such mounts in the combat units of the Polish Army and in warehouses. They are used both in a towed version and are placed on various vehicles.
Since the second half of the 1980s, the Polish army has been using Hibneryt family wheeled self-propelled anti-aircraft guns for anti-aircraft cover on the march. Initially, these were slightly modified 23-mm guns mounted on unarmored three-axle trucks, the back of which also had space for additional ammunition. In addition to countering enemy aircraft, they are considered as a means of combating lightly armored vehicles and manpower. Four such vehicles were delivered to Iraq in 2005, where they were used to escort convoys and proved themselves well.
In 2007, a wheeled version of the Hibneryt-P ZSU was presented on the Star 266M chassis, partially covered with bulletproof armor.
In 2010, the Hibneryt-3 ZSU appeared with a higher level of ballistic and anti-mine protection and increased firing angles.
The compartments in the floor have space for eight ammunition boxes and four spare barrels. The vehicle is equipped with communications equipment that allows it to receive target designation from external sources.
Polish towed 23-mm anti-aircraft guns have been repeatedly modernized; there are several variants in service, differing in sighting devices and the presence or absence of missile launchers.
The first radically modernized modification, accepted into service in 2002, is the ZUR-23-2KG "Jodek-G". This version of the ZU-23 is equipped with a combined (day/night) passive optoelectronic sight Prexer CKE-2 and two transport and launch containers with anti-aircraft missiles "Grom-1".
Compared to the original ZU-23, the combination of highly advanced at that time sighting and search equipment and homing anti-aircraft missiles increased the effectiveness of the installation by approximately 5 times (according to Polish experts). The firing range at air targets exceeded 5000 m, it became possible to destroy objects flying at a speed of up to 500 m/s and conduct aimed fire at night.
In 2007, a towed mount with an improved all-day sight combined with a laser rangefinder was tested, and the ammunition complement was supplemented with sub-caliber armor-piercing incendiary and armor-piercing incendiary tracer shells with an increased muzzle velocity, due to which the effective firing range of the guns increased by approximately 20%. In 2015, the CKE-1T thermal imager was introduced into the mount.
In order to protect air bases from low-altitude air attack weapons, the Polish MoD ordered six artillery and missile batteries with the Pilica fire control system (PSR-A) in 2016. The Pilica system is being manufactured by the PGZ-PILICA consortium, which includes PIT-Radwar and Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnоw.
The battery includes a mobile command post equipped with a computerized fire control system, six ZUR-23-2SP Jodek combined artillery and missile launchers with Piorun missiles, two transport vehicles and two ammunition transport vehicles. Target designation is provided by an Israeli-made IAI ELM-2106NG mobile three-coordinate radar.
The anti-aircraft artillery and missile mount is equipped with a combined GOS-1 surveillance and sighting system with a TV camera, thermal imager and laser rangefinder. Remote guidance by ACS commands is provided by an electromechanical drive. Due to the ability to concentrate the fire of the entire battery on one target and sequentially fire at it with guided missiles and 23-mm shells, the probability of destruction increases many times over. Autonomous power supply by a gasoline generator. Information from the surveillance and sighting systems of the mounts and data on the availability of ready-to-use ammunition are transmitted to the command post.
Jelcz 442.32 trucks with fast loading and unloading devices are used to transport anti-aircraft missile and artillery systems. If necessary, fire can be conducted from the vehicles.
Due to the fact that the RLK-2 radar hardware complex no longer met modern requirements, in the second half of the 1990s the Ground Forces command planned to abandon the ZSU-23-4 Shilka and replace them with ZSUs of their own production, which used 35-mm machine guns from Oerlikon Contraves AG.
As part of the Loara project, Radwar created an anti-aircraft self-propelled gun based on the PT-91 Twardy tank (the Polish version of the T-72), armed with two 35 mm Oerlikon GDF-005 cannons.
To search for air targets at a range of up to 27 km, an AFAR radar operating in the centimeter frequency range was used. This station with a built-in "friend or foe" interrogator had low power consumption, high noise immunity and could track 64 targets simultaneously.
The radar sight-rangefinder, the antenna of which is located in the frontal part of the tower, after taking the target for tracking, transmits data to the automatic fire control system, and after the target enters the affected area, the ACS calculates the lead, gives the command to open fire and programs the fuses of the air-blasted shells.
The following are provided as backup sighting and search systems: a laser rangefinder, a SAGEM thermal imaging camera and a KTVD television camera. Passive detection systems not only duplicate radars, but also, if necessary, improve the stealth of use and protect the ZSU from anti-radar missiles. The sighting and search complex could operate while the vehicle was moving. No more than 10 seconds passed from the moment of detection and identification to the shelling of the target. According to the declared characteristics, the Polish anti-aircraft mount is superior to the modernized German ZSU Gepard.
However, the Loara turned out to be too expensive, and the Polish military eventually returned to a more affordable option for upgrading the existing Shilokas. At the request of the Armed Forces Supply Department of the Ministry of National Defence, the Military Mechanical Equipment Research Centre in Tarnów began developing a project to modernise some of the least worn ZSU-23-4 Shilkas. The modernisation of the self-propelled anti-aircraft guns was planned to be combined with a major overhaul, which was supposed to extend their service life by another 20 years. The modernised vehicle received the Polish designation ZSU-23–4MP “Biala”.
ZSU-23–4MP «Biala»
The work on the restoration repairs, combined with modernization, began at the enterprise in Tarnow and the tank repair shops in Żurawica in 2010. Polish media wrote that more than 50 vehicles could be modernized. However, in reality no more than 30 self-propelled guns were modernized. The remaining "Shilkas" turned out to be too worn out and were scrapped or dismantled for spare parts.
Compared to the original Shilka, the capabilities of the Polish ZSU-23–4MP Biala anti-aircraft self-propelled guns have increased significantly. Instead of the outdated RLK-2 radar system, passive optoelectronic equipment with a thermal imaging channel is used to search for air targets. The digital fire control system, combined with a laser rangefinder, allows for the shelling of targets in a semi-automatic mode. The rejection of the onboard radar has somewhat reduced the ability to combat air targets in conditions of heavy smoke and fog, but the stealth and survivability of the installation as a whole have increased. Due to the automation of the process of searching for an air target and using weapons, the ZSU crew has been reduced to three people.
The artillery unit has been supplemented with four Grom missiles, which can hit low-altitude targets at a range of up to 5500 m. New equipment and a partial replacement of ammunition (new sub-caliber shells have been added) have increased the effective firing range of the guns to 3,5 km.
The anti-aircraft battery is controlled by the mobile ACS "Łowcza-3" on the SPG-2A tracked chassis (Polish version of MT-LB). The development of such a machine began in the late 1980s, but it was accepted into service only in 1999. The ACS "Łowcza-3" uses data transmission systems manufactured by Thomson-CSF and data processing equipment created by the Radwar Scientific and Production Center for Professional Electronics.
New generation mobile air defense systems
To replace the outdated Soviet-made Osa and Kub military air defense systems, Poland has adopted new mobile anti-aircraft systems.
In 2011, the Polish company PIT-RADWAR began developing a mobile short-range air defense system on a lightly armored wheeled chassis with increased cross-country capability. Initially, it was planned to use Grom missiles, but later the developers switched to the promising Piorun system.
When designing the Poprad SAM system, the existing developments in Poland on passive sighting and search optoelectronic systems were actively used, and already in 2014, testing of two prototypes began. During the firing range, the ability to promptly detect and successfully hit low-altitude subsonic and supersonic targets was demonstrated.
At the end of 2015, the Polish Defense Ministry signed a $278,7 million contract with PIT-RADWAR for the delivery of 2018 Poprad air defense systems between 2021 and 77.
In order to save money, the initial idea was to place the SAM combat module on a completely overhauled BRDM-2 chassis. However, due to the transition to NATO standards and to load our own industry, the Polish-made AMZ Dzik armored vehicle was used as a wheelbase for the prototypes, after which the AMZ Żubr-P chassis was used for serial models.
Combat vehicle of the SAM system "Poprad"
The vehicle weighing about 12 tons can reach a speed of up to 100 km/h on the highway. The cruising range is up to 600 km. The V-shaped bottom has increased resistance to detonation, and the steel armor provides protection from 12,7 mm bullets fired from a distance of 300 m. The crew is 2 people: commander-operator and driver-mechanic. Four spare SAMs are transported inside the armored hull.
A module with four launch containers for Piorun anti-aircraft missiles is installed on the roof of the combat vehicle. A passive optoelectronic system is used to search for, capture and track air targets, combined with a computerized fire control system and satellite positioning navigation equipment. In terms of equipment composition and characteristics, the sighting and navigation complex is similar to that used on the ZUR-23-2SP Jodek installations, which are part of the Pilica air defense missile and gun system.
The ZDPSR Soła mobile radar station on the AMZ Żubr-P chassis with a detection range of up to 40 km is designed for early detection of low-altitude air targets.
Information exchange between the radar and combat vehicles within the anti-aircraft battery is carried out via secure digital radio channels. An anti-aircraft battery may have 4-6 combat vehicles.
It is noted that the combat vehicles of the Poprad complex, united into a common combat information and control system, are capable of effectively interacting with the Hibneryt-3 and ZSU-23–4MP Biala self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, as well as with the Pilica anti-aircraft missile and gun system.
In order to expand the coverage area of the Poprad SAM system, a SAM with a firing range of up to 10 km and an altitude reach of up to 7 km is being developed. This missile, known as Piorun-2, according to preliminary data, may weigh about 37 kg, and its length will be approximately 2 m. Due to the fact that the acquisition of a low-altitude air target by the missile's thermal homing head at the stated firing range is difficult, in the initial part of the flight the missile will be guided by laser radiation (the so-called "laser trail"). When approaching the target at a distance of 5-6 km, the standard homing head of the Piorun anti-aircraft missile is activated.
In the article by Kirill Ryabov, nothing was said about the newest Narew air defense system, which should eventually become one of the foundations of the ground segment of the Polish air defense system. History The development of this complex began in 2012, after the leadership of the Polish Ministry of Defense became concerned about the need to replace the aging Kub air defense missile systems.
To develop the new system, a consortium PGZ (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) was created, which included leading Polish defense companies and design bureaus: ZM Tarnów, PIT-Radwar, PCO, Jelcz, Mesko, WZU and WZE. But the Poles soon came to the conclusion that this work would most likely not be completed in the foreseeable future, and asked for foreign assistance.
The announced tender included: the Ukrainian company Ukroboronprom (with the R-27ADS air defense missile system, which used a SAM created on the basis of the Soviet aviation UR R-27), the American company Raytheon, the Norwegian Kongsberg, the Israeli Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries, as well as the British branch of the European consortium MBDA.
In April 2022, Poland signed an agreement with the British branch of MBDA to purchase two simplified Mała Narew air defense systems. Already in October 2022, the first system entered service with the 18th Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment stationed in Zamość.
Combat vehicle of the Mała Narew SAM system
In the first stage, the Mała Narew fire battery included three self-propelled eight-container vertical launchers with SAMM missiles, three transport and loading vehicles, a Sola fire detection and control radar and a command post. Each launcher is equipped with an electro-optical station on a lifting mast for detecting air targets in passive mode. The main elements of the complex are mounted on the chassis of Polish military trucks with increased cross-country ability Jelcz P882 with a wheel arrangement of 8×8.
The Mała Narew SAM is a modification of the Sky Sabre air defense system recently adopted by the UK, which uses CAMM SAMs with a firing range of up to 25 km. The CAMM anti-aircraft missile is based on the AIM-132 ASRAAM short-range air-launched missile, but with the infrared homing head replaced by an active radar one, with radio correction at the initial stage of flight. CAMM missiles have an active radar guidance system, which allows for the "fire and forget" principle to be implemented, as well as for firing at several targets simultaneously.
In September 2023, at the MSPO-2023 defense industry exhibition, contracts were approved for the supply of the main elements of the promising Narew air defense system with CAMM-ER medium-range SAMs (firing range up to 45 km) to the Polish Army.
The agreement provides for the delivery of 138 iLauncher self-propelled launchers for 46 Narew anti-aircraft missile systems (three self-propelled launchers each) and, accordingly, 23 batteries (two SAMs each). The second contract is to include the delivery of "more 1000» CAMM-ER missiles, additional equipment and technology transfer. The total cost of the Narew program may exceed $12 billion, and Poland intends to export these air defense systems in the future.
PS
Unfortunately, due to space limitations, it is not possible to cover the entire Polish air defense in one article. Automated control systems, radar detection systems, the WISŁA system, and fighter aircraft were left out of the publication. If readers show sufficient interest in these topics, there will be a continuation.
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