American military technology company Anduril could eventually produce its newly unveiled Steelfin interceptors in Poland as European governments aim to expand air-defence capabilities and counter possible shortages.
"I certainly hope that something like Steelfin could become a capability that we engage with both the Polish customer and industry," Brian Moran, Anduril's vice president for Europe, told Reuters.
"We would definitely consider engaging European partners and customers on this capability", he added.
Steelfin is due to undergo flight testing in 2027, according to Anduril.
Moran said Anduril saw Steelfin as a complementary system that could provide a more affordable interceptor alongside existing missile-defence systems like the Patriot and others.
Wars in Ukraine and the Gulf have strained stocks of air-defence interceptor missiles and caused delivery delays.
The company is already in talks to establish production in Poland of its Barracuda-500 cruise missile, and Moran said that experience could open the door to additional manufacturing projects.
"We're having a very good experience with our industry partner here, PGZ," he said, adding that discussions were also under way with the defence ministry and other government agencies. PGZ (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa) is Poland's state-owned arms group.
Poland, one of NATO's top defence spenders relative to the size of its economy, is seeking to expand domestic arms production and reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
(mo)
Source: Reuters