Polish state-owned defense company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, or PGZ, will launch a second production line for its Piorun man-portable air-defense system, known as MANPADS.
The move comes in response to high domestic and international demand for the weapon, which has seen extensive use in the war in Ukraine.
The company’s plan was detailed by PGZ President Adam Leszkiewicz in an interview with Defence24.pl. According to the report, the decision to establish a second line at the Jelcz plants is driven by an urgent need to increase production rates. Leszkiewicz noted that PGZ is also collaborating with partners outside the company to accelerate the fulfillment of orders.
The Piorun system, manufactured by the PGZ-owned company Mesko, is a comprehensively upgraded version of Poland’s earlier Grom MANPADS. Its design features an infrared seeker with four times the sensitivity of its predecessor. The missile carries a 1.82 kg warhead and can engage targets at an altitude of up to 4,000 meters and a range of 6,500 meters.
The system has been recognized for its effectiveness in Ukraine, where it has performed well against Russian forces, even when compared to other Western-supplied systems. Reports from the conflict zone indicate the Piorun is highly rated on a cost-effectiveness basis. The integration of thermal sensors allows for night operations and makes the system effective against low-signature targets, such as Shahed-type drones.
PGZ is also in negotiations with the Polish Armament Agency for further modernization of the current system to create an even more advanced version. Development of a next-generation system, the Piorun-2, was reported to have started in 2023, with the company CRW Telesystem-Mesko involved in the project. The production increase reflects a broader trend among NATO members to expand their defense industrial capacity in response to the current security environment in Eastern Europe.