Poland is developing Piorun MANPADS of a new generation

Poland is working on the creation of a new generation of Piorun MANPADS. Weapons are being developed considering the experience of Russia's war against Ukraine. The vice president of Mesko Przemyslaw Kowalczuk made the announcement in an interview with Radio Plus Radom.

He says that work is currently underway on the Grzmot project, which will be the successor to the Piorun MANPADS. This so-called Piorun-2 will have better parameters and an updated design. Kowalczuk emphasizes that the updated MANPADS will be heavier, while also differing in the principle of use.

Missile for Piorun MANPADS. September 2022. Poland.

Photo credits: Ministry of Defense of Poland

In addition, a new missile with a different homing head will be developed for Piorun-2. Work on the development and improvement of the MANPADS is already underway, it is expected that the first tests will begin in 18 months. But according to Przemyslaw Kowalczuk, it will take several years to bring the product to combat readiness.

Piorun MANPADS is a deeply modernized version of the Polish Grom missile system, which is produced by Mesko. Within this upgrade, the sensitivity of the infrared homing device has been quadrupled. The man-portable air defense system has a warhead of 1.82 kg, and it is known to be able to hit targets at an altitude of up to 4,000 m and a range of up to 6,500 m.

Piorun is effective against small aerial targets, such as UAVs, due to non-contact detonation. As previously reported, Poland transferred Piorun MANPADS to Ukraine at the beginning of February 2022.

The number of transferred systems was not specified.

Already at the beginning of March last year, there was a report that the National Guard of Ukraine destroyed enemy air targets using these air systems.

So far, agreements on the purchase of the Piorun system have been signed by Norway and Estonia.