Georgian MOD to Buy Anti Aircraft System from Polish Company

On January 12, Georgian Deputy Defense Minister Giorgi Khaindrava signed a contract with the Polish company MESKO S.A. on the purchase of an anti-aircraft missile system. The document was prepared within the framework of the development program of the Georgian Armed Forces.

According to the Defense Ministry, the Deputy Defense Minister and the representative of the Polish company also discussed the importance of introducing modern NATO-standard weapons in Georgia, which will help strengthen the country’s defense capabilities. The parties also discussed plans for cooperation between the Ministry of Defense and the Polish company.

Army Recognition, an online magazine covering defense and security issues, reported that according to the contract, Georgia is to purchase Piorun-M MANPADS air defense missile systems, which will replace the existing stock of 100 GROM-2 units bought by Georgia from Poland in 2007.

The same magazine reports that the Piorun-M is an advanced iteration of the GROM MANPADS (MAN-Portable Air-Defense Systems). “Developed by the Polish company MESKO, this system is a modernized successor to the Soviet-era 9K38 Igla (SA-18 Grail).”

According to the same information, the Piorun MANPADS has an effective range between 400 meters and 6 kilometers, and is capable of engaging targets at altitudes ranging from a minimum of 10 meters to a maximum of 4 kilometers. The missile itself weighs 2 kilograms and is designed for increased effectiveness against small air targets, including UAVs.

According to its official website, MESKO is a manufacturer of military products with almost 100 years of production experience. MESKO is an eligible supplier for NATO troops, and its products are also used by the Polish Armed Forces.

MESKO’s products include small and medium caliber ammunition as well as artillery, tank and mortar ammunition. The company also produces rockets and missiles, including PIORUN MANPADS designed to destroy aircraft, helicopters, UAVs and winged missiles.

Note: this news was updated on January 17 at 18:22 to include the information from the online magazine Army Recognition.

Also Read:

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• 28/09/2020 – Georgian Defense Ministry Purchases Spanish Drones

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