France considers purchasing Polish Piorun missiles and Baobab mine-laying systems.

As reported by Defence 24 on March 17, 2025, Polish Minister of Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that France has expressed interest in acquiring the Polish-developed Piorun man-portable air-defense system (MANPADS) and the Baobab-K scatterable mine-laying system during the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum. This follows discussions with French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, who had previously visited Poland, where potential acquisitions from the Polish defense industry were discussed. Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that he will visit France in early April, accompanied by representatives of Poland's defense sector, to continue discussions on these potential procurements.
Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

Each Baobab-K vehicle is equipped with six mine-launching modules, each containing 20 barrels capable of holding five mines per barrel, allowing for the deployment of up to 600 anti-tank mines before reloading. (Picture source: PGZ)

The announcement took place within the E5 format, a multilateral defense dialogue involving France, Poland, the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. The Polish defense minister stated that among the participating countries, Poland has the most pressing need to expand its defense production capabilities. He also noted several areas of potential cooperation, including the procurement of submarines under the Orka program. Regarding France’s interest in the Piorun and Baobab systems, Kosiniak-Kamysz stated that while France currently possesses very short-range air defense missiles with similar performance to the Polish Piorun, its domestic Mistral system is a larger, non-shoulder-fired platform. Integrating Piorun into the French inventory would provide additional operational flexibility, allowing mobile air defense teams to engage aerial threats without pre-deployed firing positions.

If acquired, the Piorun system would increase the capabilities of French air defense units by providing a shoulder-launched system. This would allow for a more flexible engagement of targets compared to the fixed or vehicle-mounted Mistral system. The interest in the Baobab-K system suggests potential integration with a French wheeled or tracked chassis, as the French military does not currently operate a comparable scatterable mine-laying capability. The conflict in Ukraine has demonstrated the role of minefields in delaying or halting enemy armored advances, highlighting the operational use of such a system.

The Piorun MANPADS, developed by Mesko in collaboration with CRW Telesystem-Mesko and the Military University of Technology, is an improved version of the earlier Grom system. It features enhanced resistance to countermeasures and improved targeting capabilities against low-signature aerial threats. The system is designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other airborne targets at ranges between 400 meters and 6.5 kilometers and altitudes between 10 meters and 4 kilometers. Piorun is currently in service with Poland, Ukraine, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Norway, the United States, Georgia, and, in the future, Slovakia. Ukraine has deployed the system in combat, where it has been used to engage enemy aircraft and UAVs.

The Baobab-K scatterable mine-laying system was developed by a Polish defense consortium led by Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), with participation from Jelcz, BZE Belma, and the Military Institute of Engineering Technology. The program advanced with an agreement signed on December 28, 2018, leading to the development of a prototype based on the Jelcz 662D.43 military truck. The system enables rapid deployment of anti-tank minefields of varying densities. The automated deployment process allows mines to be placed from within the vehicle, with an onboard computer calculating vehicle speed, launcher settings, and mine release intervals. The system is capable of deploying a minefield up to 1,800 meters long within approximately 22 minutes, with mine dispersion ranging from 30 to 90 meters.

Each Baobab-K vehicle is equipped with six mine-launching modules, each containing 20 barrels capable of holding five mines per barrel, allowing for the deployment of up to 600 anti-tank mines before reloading. The digital interface records the placement of mines on a digital map, with data transmittable to higher command levels via radio. The vehicle's two-person crew operates from an armored cabin equipped with a fire control system, GPS navigation, and a communication suite that includes the Fonet internal communication system and the RRC 9311AP VHF radio. The vehicle is also equipped with the Obra self-protection system, which integrates eight threat-detection sensors and eight smoke grenade launchers. Mines deployed by Baobab-K can be programmed with self-neutralization or self-destruction timers.

The Polish Ministry of National Defense has signed a contract for 24 Baobab-K vehicles, valued at over 500 million PLN, with deliveries scheduled between 2026 and 2028. Poland currently operates a limited number of ISM Kroton vehicles for scatterable mine deployment, making the introduction of Baobab-K a significant increase in capacity. The development of a tracked variant, the Baobab-G, has been proposed, potentially utilizing chassis from the Krab self-propelled howitzer or the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle.

The Piorun is designed to engage aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), and other airborne targets at ranges between 400 meters and 6.5 kilometers and altitudes between 10 meters and 4 kilometers. (Picture source: Polish MoD)