Belgium is enhancing the country’s defense with a planned acquisition of 200 to 300 Piorun man-portable air defense systems from Poland.
The deal includes training systems and support services, although financial terms and delivery schedules were not disclosed in the letter of intent signed between the Belgian Defense Minister, Theo Francken, and his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Manufactured by Polish defense firm Mesko, the Piorun is combat-proven; the shoulder-fired system has been transferred and used in Ukraine to neutralize low-flying aircraft, helicopters, drones, and missile threats from Russia.
The Piorun
Piorun, which means “thunderbolt” in Polish, fires a missile with a fragmentation-high explosive warhead and proximity fuze for improved target probability against aerial threats flying as low as 10 meters (32 feet) above the ground up to 4,000 meters (13,123 feet) altitude.
It can reach targets at distances from 400 meters (1,312 feet) to 6,500 meters (21,325 feet) and travels at an average speed of 560 meters (1,837 feet) per second or roughly Mach 1.6.
Meanwhile, the launcher is equipped with an additional day sight and a thermal vision sight, enabling effective operations in both day and night conditions.
A single operator can carry the total missile and launcher unit, which weighs approximately 19.5 kilograms (42 pounds).
Once delivered, Brussels will join other NATO countries operating the Piorun, including Estonia and Norway.
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