Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., a member of the Polish Armaments Group and the American concern Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems signed on 27 February 2019 a Letter Subcontract, enabling the actual implementation and production of 16 rocket launchers, basic elements of the Wisła anti-aircraft and missile defense system. Based on this contract document, the parties agreed on July 11, 2019, the final conditions for the performance of the subject of the contract as part of the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) process commissioned by the US government.
Huta Stalowa Wola S.A. concluded a contract with Raytheon for the integration and production of 16 Patriot rocket launchers as part of the implementation of the first phase of the “Wisła” program. In October 2018, Raytheon submitted to HSW S.A. order to prepare the implementation of the future contract, and as early as February 2019, the Letter Subcontract was signed. This confirmed the readiness of the companies included in the PGZ-WISŁA Consortium to implement the program. This is one of many business agreements that are related to the implementation of this contract.
– Signing the contract inaugurates the stage of launching production of rocket launchers in Poland, on which the “Wisła” system will be based. Due to the increasingly advanced cooperation with Raytheon, the Polish Armaments Group is becoming an integral part of the Raytheon global supply chain in the Patriot system. We acquire production capacity enabling us to deliver key equipment for the Polish Armed Forces, and in the future also for other customers, ”said Radosław Domagalski-Łabędzki, a member of the management board of PGZ S.A.
– Raytheon is invariably involved in partner cooperation with PGZ to develop Polish industry to implement phase I of the WISŁA program – said Pete Bata, vice president of the Polish integrated anti-aircraft and missile defense program at Raytheon – We build on current successes and create more and more opportunities for Polish industry in phase II of the WISŁA program as well as other programs.
The contract concluded with Huta Stalowa Wola is one of the first production contracts concluded with PGZ companies as part of the implementation of the first phase of the Wisła program.
In the first phase of the Wisła program HSW S.A. and other companies included in PGZ will receive technology and know-how enabling significant participation in the production of the launcher and its components. Batteries delivered to Poland will be equipped with launchers that will be built in the national defense industry. The transfer of technology and knowledge will also reduce costs incurred throughout the lifecycle of the launcher systems, as the PGZ Group companies will be responsible for operation and modernization. M903 launchers will also be included in Patriot systems manufactured for other countries, which opens for PGZ and Huta Stalowa Wola new opportunities as qualified Raytheon suppliers.
The PGZ-WISŁA Consortium responsible for the implementation of the WISŁA program on the PGZ side consists of 14 entities: PGZ S.A. (consortium leader), Huta Stalowa Wola S.A., MESKO S.A., PIT-Radwar S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Elektroniczne S.A., Jelcz sp. z o.o., Autosan sp. z o.o., Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowego Centrum Techniki Morskiej S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Uzbrojenia S.A., Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 1 S.A., Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze nr 2 S.A., PCO S.A. as well as Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności nr 1 S.A. In addition, some of the other companies from the PGZ Group will participate in the Wisła program as a sub-supplier.
