Polish “Piorun” MANPADS Headed to Belgium

A letter of intent concerning Belgium’s purchase of Piorun launchers was signed on the sidelines of the two ministers« talks held at Mesko in Skarżysko-Kamienna—the very factory that produces the Polish MANPADS. On that occasion, Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that the Piorun 2 should soon be ready for production, as all its individual components are complete and merely need integration. Belgian Defence Minister Theo Francken said that Belgium requires man-portable air-defence systems and that Poland has excellent technology in this field. It is worth adding that the 3,000th system has been recently delivered.

The discussions also covered expanding bilateral cooperation. The head of Poland’s Ministry of Defence announced a faster pace of collaboration with Belgium. He emphasized that Poland sees its role within the „coalition of the willing” supporting Ukraine by providing logistical support and serving as a logistics hub. 

The Piorun is a Polish man-portable air-defence system, developed under a research and development program involving Mesko, CRW Telesystem-Mesko, and the Military University of Technology (WAT), launched in 2010. It is the successor to the Grom system. It can engage air targets at ranges from 400 m to over 6.5 km and at altitudes from approximately 10 m to over 4 km. 

The Piorun is equipped with an advanced, domestically developed infrared guidance system that is highly resistant to both natural and artificial interference. The missile features a proximity fuse that makes it possible to hit the target in the event of a near miss. Additionally, the launching mechanism allows for programming of the seeker according to the target’s characteristics, and it can be integrated with an all-day optoelectronic sight and an Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) module. The launching unit also includes an authorization system that prevents unauthorized missile use.

The Piorun has been used successfully in combat in Ukraine, engaging targets such as Su-25, Su-34, and Su-30SM aircraft, Ka-52 helicopters, as well as drones and cruise missiles. Even before the full-scale war in Ukraine began, the United States ordered Pioruns, and following their combat use, Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Moldova have also joined their list of users.