The Estonian military has received the delivery of the Piorun short-range air defense system from Polish defense technology company Mesko. The weapon will be deployed for use by a wartime detachment under the command of the Estonian Defense Forces.
Piorun, which Poland began using in 2019, is a man-portable weapon system with a range of up to eight kilometers. Also used by Ukrainian troops, the system offers easy and manageable deployment, with its operations requiring just a few hours of training.
According to ECDI, the weapon system’s supply is the first joint Estonia-Poland procurement and provides quick delivery and low-cost advantages. A Shepard Media report said the agency and Mesko signed the Piorun supply agreement in the autumn of 2022, with 300 missiles and 100 launchers under the contract.
Estonia’s military defense reinforcement budget has allocated $142.3 million to develop short-range air defense capabilities, ECDI said.
Ramil Lipp, manager for Strategic Category at ECDI, complimented Mesko for its timely delivery, especially at a time of “high demand and component shortages.”