Belgium strengthens defense with purchase of Polish Piorun missiles
Belgium is joining the users of Polish Piorun anti-aircraft missiles. The signing of the letter of intent in this regard is paired with news about the completion of work on a new variant of Polish weapons. What do we know about the Piorun 2?
The defence ministers of Poland and Belgium, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Theo Francken, signed a letter of intent on military cooperation at the MESKO facilities. It included a declaration about Belgium's purchase of 200 to 300 portable anti-aircraft missile systems Piorun.
Thus, Belgium joins the growing group of users of Polish weapons. Besides the Polish army, the PPZR (Portable Anti-Aircraft Missile System) Piorun has been adopted by the armed forces of Estonia, Georgia, Latvia, Norway, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United States. It is possible that France will also purchase Polish missiles.
The interest in the Polish anti-aircraft missile is due to its proven effectiveness – during the war in Ukraine, Polish Pioruns proved to be effective weapons against Russian aircraft and helicopters.
Polish weapon tested in combat
It's worth noting that the Piorun's predecessor also made history with its effective combat against Russian aircraft. Grom missiles were used by Georgia during the Russian attack in 2008, and according to Georgian data, out of 13 properly launched missiles, as many as 9 hit Russian aircraft and helicopters.
Piorun, developed based on the experience gained during the use of the Grom missile, confirmed its effectiveness in Ukraine. With its help, attack helicopters—such as the Ka-52—as well as various types of aircraft (Su-25, Su-30, Su-34) and cruise missiles, were shot down.
New Polish anti-aircraft missile
The development of the series of Polish portable anti-aircraft missiles continues. Following Grom and Piorun, Piorun 2 and the Grzmot missile, with a range increased to 11 kilometres, are set to enter production. It was Piorun 2 that Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz referred to when commenting on the signing of the Polish-Belgian agreement.
The current schedule anticipates that the serial production of the Piorun 2 missile will start in 2028. Compared to the currently produced variant, the new Piorun is expected to offer a somewhat increased range (up to about 6 kilometres) and a higher flight speed.
An important change will be an improved guidance system, more resistant to interference and allowing for targeting low thermal signature targets, such as various types of drones.
