Polish defence consortium signs a naval missile launchers deal with Lockheed Martin

The Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), associating a number of country's leading defence contractors, has signed a significant contract with the US company Lockheed Martin - for the delivery of modern naval missile launchers for the Polish Navy.

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Adam Warzawa / PAP

PGZ announced the deal on their X platform profile, writing: "Today we concluded an agreement with Lockheed Martin within the Direct Commercial Sales framework, acquiring the VLS Mk41 vertical launching system for three frigates built by the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium, along with the Extensible Launching System modules for the Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles family".

Zawarliśmy dziś porozumienie z @LockheedMartin, od którego, w ramach DCS (Direct Commercial Sales) pozyskaliśmy dla 3⃣budowanych przez Konsorcjum PGZ-#MIECZNIK fregat system pionowego startu VLS Mk 41 wraz z modułami ExLS (Exstensible Launching System) dla rodziny pocisków CAMM. pic.twitter.com/9hjIpGXqRr

— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) February 1, 2024

PGZ said each of the frigates would receive four launchers with eight chambers each, providing a total of 32 chambers per frigate. According to their post, the Mk41 system is currently the most widely used launcher in NATO's fleet.

Poland has signed a Direct Commercial Sale contract with Lockheed Martin for 12 MK 41 Vertical Launching Systems with ExLS (Exstensible Launching System) modules for the CAMM family of missiles. They will equip 3 Miecznik Class frigates. https://t.co/B12ES0R1Wq pic.twitter.com/a1MnfLLmbl

— Colby Badhwar 🇨🇦🇬🇧 (@ColbyBadhwar) February 1, 2024

The Miecznik frigates will be built by PGZ in cooperation with foreign partners, including Lockheed Martin and MBDA - the producer of the CAMM missiles. Poland's Defence Ministry signed a contract with the PGZ-Miecznik consortium in 2021 - for the supply of three multi-purpose frigates for the Polish Navy.

"Opadł już kurz po uroczystości położenia stępki przyszłego #ORPWicher, ale ani na chwile nie opada kurz na budowie hal, w których @PGZ_pl Stocznia Wojenna wybuduje fregaty #Miecznik"
Źródło:https://t.co/ibYOsWqBVk pic.twitter.com/s1ZyjexR39

— Paweł Zariczny (@pawel_zariczny) February 2, 2024

The first of these frigates is planned to enter service in 2029.

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Source: PAP