The contract for the Piorun air defence systems was signed with Mesko, a Polish defence company, in late November 2022. Although the specifics of the deal were not disclosed by Mesko, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) stated that the contract includes the supply of “several hundred” anti-aircraft missiles and an unspecified number of launchers. The contract is reportedly valued at NOK 350 million (approximately EUR 30 million).
In a statement on social media, Mesko highlighted that the contract with Norway was secured following an open tender conducted by the NDMA. Polish combat-proven solutions emerged victorious against alternative products offered by defence companies from Sweden, France, and the United States.
The NDMA has confirmed that the Piorun system, provided by Mesko, met all the operational and technical requirements set by the Norwegian Armed Forces. Moreover, Mesko’s proposal was found to be the most advantageous in terms of contract conditions, including cost and delivery schedule.
According to Mesko, Piorun MANPADS is designed for destroying aircrafts, helicopters, UAVs and winged rockets. The missile has a fuse equipped with a proximity sensor, which allows for destroying the target in case of its close passing. The modernized launcher also features an additional day sight and a thermal vision sight, allowing the operator for efficient set usage also in night conditions. Missile set has a new starting mechanism, that allows among others selection of: pursuit-collision mode, target type, weather conditions, performs Friend or Foe inquiry, communicates with optical and thermal imaging sights, can be equipped with an authorization system.
