MSPO 2025 — As Poland’s defense exposition draws to a close, the host nation has announced a total of 7.46 billion PLN ($2.04 billion USD) in spending for defense equipment from Polish companies, ranging from rifles to radars, all in an effort to lessen Warsaw’s reliance on other nations.
“Our most important task is to strengthen Polish production capabilities, and consequently, to maximize our independence in terms of our ability to defend our homeland. Poland is now a very significant exporter and in some areas is beginning to lead in terms of technology and engineering,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said at the show.
Poland’s largest defense player, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), kicked off the spending spree by signing two contracts with the MND’s Armaments Agency potentially worth over 6 billion PLN for the supply of modern equipment to the nation’s armed forces.
The first contract, involving the PGZ-NAREW consortium, concerns the delivery of a total of 46 PET/PCL Passive Location Radars — 28 in a guaranteed order and 18 as options. The value of the guaranteed order is approximately 3.9 billion PLN, and the optional order comes to approximately 1.9 billion PLN. Deliveries are expected to be completed between 2030 and 2038.
“This decision represents PLN 5.8 billion for the Polish taxpayer, who knows that security is paramount …,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
“The radars purchased today will be manufactured by the PGZ Group — PIT RADWAR. Everything that will happen in the coming months is about Polish technological innovation, investment in the Polish economy, jobs, and everything we care about — namely, security combined with the economy,” he said.
The second contract, signed with the Radom Arms Factory, is for delivery of 23,000 5.56 mm MSBS Grot assault rifles for a cost of 307 million PLN. The order is scheduled for completion in 2027-2028.
“I promised that the Arms Factory would not be short of work. We keep our word. The Grot is intended to serve the Polish soldier and Polish security,” said Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defense.
Grot was developed in cooperation between Polish firearm producer Łucznik and the Military University of Technology. To date, approximately 230,000 sets of rifles have been contracted under previously signed agreements, and approximately 160,000 have already been delivered to the Polish Armed Forces since 2017. With today’s order, the number of MSBS GROT rifles will exceed 250,000 sets.
Further, a contract was signed Thursday between the Armaments Agency and PIT-RADWAR for the modernization of six sets of NUR-12ME radar stations with an additional three sets in the optional order for a value of approximately 806 million PLN.
The scope of modernization includes changing the sounding system, the method of processing the radar echo signal, and training of operators, instructors, and repair and maintenance staff. Modernization work will begin in 2025, and completion of the work for the basic contract is scheduled for 2032, while the optional contract should be completed in 2035.
Elsewhere Thursday, the Armaments Agency and MEGMAR Logistics & Consulting signed an agreement for delivery of five MU-90PDT training torpedoes, along with a logistics package, by the end of the first quarter of 2028. The agreement is valued at roughly 39 billion PLN.
The torpedoes will be used to train the crews of the ORP Gen. K. Pułaski and ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko Oliver Hazard Perry class guided-missile frigates, as well as the crews of the SH-2G and AW-101 helicopters in anti-submarine warfare. In the future, the torpedoes will be used to train the Miecznik class multi-role frigates, according to the agreement.
The last two contracts are in regard to the Polish Air Force’s F-35 operation. CONTOUR Advanced System BV will deliver by the end of 2028 two sets of Special Access Program Facility containers for the planning and securing of operations and missions. Each set consists of seven containers, including server rooms for unclassified and classified systems, and operational containers for mission planning and pilot briefing. The contract value is approximately 66 million PLN.
Warsaw also has bought an unspecified number of GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs for use on F-35s for approximately $120 million USD (438 million PLN). Those bombs will be delivered by 2028.