Breaking News: Poland conducts first live-fire test of US-made Patriot air defense missile system.

On September 16, 2025, Poland's Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the country conducted the first live-fire exercise of its US-made Patriot air and missile defense system acquired under the Wisła program. The training was conducted at the Central Air Force Training Ground in Ustka, using the IBCS command network, with additional firings from new Homar-A and Homar-K rocket launchers. The test, conducted as part of “Żelazny Obrońca,” the largest exercise of the Polish Armed Forces this year, marked a milestone ahead of final certification and the planned achievement of full combat readiness by the end of 2025.
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The Wisła program is Poland’s effort to build its air and missile shield around the Patriot system as the main layer within a wider national defense that also includes Narew and Pilica+. (Picture source: X/Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz)

The Wisła program began on September 29, 2014, after a request by then Defense Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, with a 2017 letter of intent establishing a two-phase acquisition. The first phase was finalized on March 28, 2018, in a 16.6 billion złoty ($4.65 billion) contract covering two Patriot MIM-104F PAC-3+ batteries equipped with M903A2 launchers, AN/MPQ-65 radars, PAC-3 MSE missiles, vehicles, communications, and sustainment and training packages. Deliveries started in September 2022, and by March 2023, Poland had received 16 M903 launchers produced by PGZ. The system reached Basic Operational Capability in December 2024 with the 3rd Warsaw Air Defense Brigade, making Poland the 15th operator of Patriot systems.

To integrate Wisła into the Polish Armed Forces, a three-stage System Integration Checkout (SICO) process was established in Toruń. This procedure includes inventory, final assembly, first activation, and verification of components, followed by testing of Northrop Grumman's Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) with the 37th Air Defense Missile Squadron in Sochaczew and a final system-wide validation back in Toruń. Complementary acquisitions include four MCC-1 mobile communications nodes and fourteen command cabins in E-OPS, C-OPS, and F-OPS configurations for delivery between 2024 and 2025. These steps enable the full use of IBCS within Wisła and lay the groundwork for integration with future systems such as Narew and Pilica+. The Toruń workshops have been upgraded to serve as the main service center for Polish air defense systems, ensuring long-term sustainability.

Regarding the Patriot system itself, Poland selected the MIM-104F PAC-3+ variant equipped with M903A2 launchers and AN/MPQ-65 radars, later to be complemented by the LTAMDS all-around surveillance radars. The PAC-3 MSE interceptor used in this setup is designed for direct hit-to-kill engagements and can counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles across a wide spectrum of speeds and altitudes. With a coverage of up to roughly 100 km, the PAC-3 MSE significantly enhances the Wisła's performance against maneuvering ballistic targets at high altitudes, giving the batteries layered defense potential when combined with short-range Narew and very short-range Pilica+. Furthermore, integration with IBCS enables these Polish Patriots to draw on multiple sensors and effectors, extending their effective engagement zones and improving resilience against saturation attacks.

Phase two of Wisła extends the program with six additional batteries. Poland issued a Letter of Request in May 2022, signed offset agreements worth about 1 billion złoty ($280 million) in August 2023, and finalized contracts worth 47.6 billion złoty ($13.33 billion) in September 2023. This package includes LTAMDS radars, 48 M903 launchers, and 644 PAC-3 MSE missiles, with deliveries expected between 2026 and 2029. The contracts also provide for training and logistics packages. Industrial participation is a cornerstone of the deal, with Huta Stalowa Wola contracted to build 48 launchers between 2027 and 2029, while other companies within PGZ are tasked with vehicles, radars, communications, and logistic support elements. Across both phases of Wisła, 852 PAC-3 missiles have been ordered, a stockpile sufficient to engage roughly 400 targets under the common doctrine of firing two interceptors per threat.

One element of significance in the Wisła program is its deliberate integration with other ongoing Polish air defense modernization projects, notably the Narew and Pilica+ projects. The Narew program is centered on short-range air defense using CAMM-ER missiles developed through a partnership between PGZ and MBDA UK. This partnership includes technology transfer arrangements, domestic production of iLauncher systems, and manufacturing of missile components in Poland, which ensures the local industry has a measurable role in sustaining the system. The Pilica+, which originated as a very short-range missile and artillery solution, has been expanded into a multi-effector system intended to counter emerging threats such as unmanned aerial vehicles, loitering munitions, and low-flying cruise missiles. Both Narew and Pilica+ are designed to be integrated with the IBCS battle management network, ensuring that Poland’s air defense is organized in layers and interoperable with NATO systems. These combined projects are meant to form a coherent structure that covers the full range of aerial threats, from drones and artillery rockets to short-range ballistic missiles.

Another dimension of interest in the Wisła program is the degree of industrial participation that has been built into it compared to other contracts Poland has signed. Companies such as PIT-RADWAR, WZE, OBR CTM, Huta Stalowa Wola, and ZM Tarnów have secured agreements under the second phase that place them within Raytheon’s international supply chain. This arrangement creates the potential for Polish firms to provide components and maintenance services not only for the domestic inventory but also for other Patriot system operators worldwide. Reports indicate that the offset linked to the American agreements is valued at approximately 6 percent of the total contract value, whereas similar arrangements with MBDA in the Narew program are expected to reach close to 54 percent. This difference has prompted discussion within Poland regarding the balance between cooperation with U.S. suppliers and deeper industrial involvement with European partners.

Written by Jérôme Brahy

Jérôme Brahy is a defense analyst and documentalist at Army Recognition. He specializes in naval modernization, aviation, drones, armored vehicles, and artillery, with a focus on strategic developments in the United States, China, Russia, Türkiye, and Belgium. His analyses go beyond the facts, providing context, identifying key actors, and explaining why defense news matters on a global scale.