European missile manufacturer MBDA and Polish defense company PGZ will jointly develop a medium-range surface-to-air missile for the Polish armed forces.
It follows the UK and Poland signing a letter of intent in 2022 to develop a future common missile based on the CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile).
The CAMM-medium-range (MR) will meet the needs of Poland’s “advanced ground and naval air defence at medium range,” MBDA said.
Expected Features
The Polish Ministry of Defense contracted MBDA to study Polish requirements for the missile and propose concepts, Aviation Week revealed.
One of the criteria is the ability to fit two missiles into a Mk 41 Vertical Launching System installed on the Miecznik-class frigates, the outlet added.
The development process will be a multi-year program, Defense News reported, citing an MBDA spokesperson.
It is expected to have a range of 80 kilometers (50 miles), twice that of the CAMM-ER (extended range).
Cheaper Alternative to Patriot Interceptor
Warsaw bought over a thousand CAMM-ERs in April in a deal worth $2.4 billion, including 138 launchers.
The MR is reportedly being proposed as a low-cost alternative to the Patriot PAC-3 MSE missile.
Poland bought over a hundred PAC-3s from the US in a deal worth $15 billion, including 48 Patriot PAC-3 launchers and 12 Lower-Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensors.
“This joint working on a new missile is a historic step for our companies and for the development of European solutions for the defense of Europe,” MBDA CEO Eric Béranger said.
“MBDA was created to champion the cross-border development of missile systems in Europe and so we’re very proud to be working in concert with PGZ and Poland on this exciting new project.”