Poland to purchase six more US Patriot air defense missile systems.

According to a Tweet published by "TVP World" on May 25, 2022, Poland will purchase six more American Patriot air defense missile systems. This is the second phase of the Polish army's WISLA air defense modernization program.
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U.S. soldiers from 357th Air and Missile Defense Detachment, 5th Battalion, 7th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, ALPHA Battery conduct drills on the Patriot Missile systems in Morag, Poland. (Picture source U.S. DoD)

The WISLA program was officially launched in April 2018, by the Polish Minister of Defense in order to modernize the air defense capabilities of the Polish armed forces. The first phase of this program consisted of acquiring two PATRIOT air defense missile batteries in the PAC 3+ configuration with the IBCS (Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System).

The IBCS / PATRIOT system, delivered to Poland will be part of the "WISŁA" program, offering to Poland a new modern air defense system. The system will monitor the airspace 24 hours a day, it will recognize the threat itself, engage a missile or enemy plane, and it will be able to neutralize it within a dozen or so seconds.

Citing information published on Twitter by the Polish Minister of Defense Mariusz Blaszczak, Poland has signed a Letter of Request to acquire six more Patriot batteries with omnidirectional radars, launchers, and a supply of missiles.

In March 2018, Poland had already signed a contract of $4.75 billion to purchase two batteries of American Patriot PAC-3 air defense missile systems. The first units of this contract are to be delivered to the Polish armed forces this year.

The Patriot MIM-104 is a surface-to-air missile (SAM) system designed and manufactured by the American company Raytheon. The missile is designed to destroy aerial threats such as aircraft, missiles, drones, and the latest version has now improved tracking and targeting capability allowing the system to destroy high-speed, maneuvering ballistic missiles at a maximum range of 30 km and following a different trajectory than standard ballistic missiles which follow a parabola-like trajectory.

The combat element of the PATRIOT system is the fire unit, primarily consisting of a radar set (RS), engagement control station (ECS), and launching stations (LS). The RS provides airspace surveillance, target detection, discrimination, identification, classification, simultaneous tracking of targets, missile guidance, and engagement support. The LS performs transport and missile launch functions and is remotely operated from the ECS, which provides command and control. The LS has a load-out capacity of between 12 and 16 PAC-3 missiles depending on the configuration.

The PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (PAC-3 MSE), fielded in 2015, represents the next generation PAC-3 missile and provides expanded battlespace performance against evolving threats. The PAC-3 MSE improves upon the original PAC-3 capability with a higher performance solid rocket motor, modified lethality enhancer, more responsive control surfaces, upgraded guidance software, and insensitive munitions improvements.