MBDA welcomes Polish-UK air defence agreement

MBDA welcomes the signing of the statement of intent (SoI) between Poland and the UK on air defence co-operation on 18 November.

Signed by Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak and UK Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace the SoI marks the intent of Poland and the UK to co-operate on the NAREW air defence programme for which MBDA’s CAMM missile family has been recommended by the Polish Armament Inspectorate. Contract negotiations will now begin.

MBDA UK Managing Director Chris Allam stated following the signing: “MBDA is delighted to be playing such a leading role in the UK-Poland Defence partnership. This agreement endorses the deep relationship we have formed with Poland’s MoND and Polish Industry. It is underpinned by the nature of our unprecedented technology co-operation and transfer proposal for NAREW and Polish Air Defence. In choosing MBDA, and the CAMM family, Poland will receive the benefits of a true European missile partnership, latest capabilities and the ability to secure and develop technologies and highly skilled jobs in its defence industry. We thank Poland for the trust placed in us and we look forward to delivering this programme in co-operation with the PGZ Consortium.”

Based around the CAMM family of interceptors, the MBDA input for the NAREW programme will contain a very high level of Polish engagement and will see extensive transfer of missile technologies to the PGZ-NAREW Consortium. Production of CAMM family interceptors is set to take place in Poland for NAREW, with Polish production lines also able to provide missiles to equip the new MIECZNIK frigates of the Polish Navy.

Co-operation on NAREW is expected to form the basis for wider co-operation between Poland and the UK in the field of complex weapons under the umbrella of the UK-Poland Treaty on Defence and Security Cooperation.

MBDA has been working closely with our Polish partner Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) to utilise the CAMM missile family to meet the NAREW air defence requirement of the Polish Armed Forces since the signing of an agreement on strategic partnership in the missile domain including the NAREW programme in 2017.

The CAMM family represent the latest generation of air defence technology. Utilising a next-generation active radar seeker and soft-launch technologies, CAMM is able to rapidly defeat large numbers of the most challenging modern air threats.