Belgium intends to acquire 200 to 300 Polish-made Piorun man-portable air defense systems. Belgian Minister of Defense Theo Franken finalized the agreement with a statement of intent he co-signed with his Polish counterpart, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, during a recent visit to the weapons manufacturer, Mesko.
According to a Breaking Defense report, the MANPADS agreement also aims to strengthen Belgium and Poland’s military capabilities in air and space.
Insights about air and space defense drawn from the Belgian-Polish intent declaration can feed discussions at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Air and Space Summit on July 31. Registration is now open.
Other Areas of Cooperation
According to a Belgian Defence Ministry statement, the two countries’ agreement covers other areas of cooperation, such as unmanned systems consultations to strengthen air defense. Belgium and Poland also committed to conducting joint air force training, including exercises with Polish F-35 pilots.
Poland has already supplied Piorun MANPADS to Kyiv for aerial combat support to Ukraine. In January 2024, the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments procured $113 million worth of MANPADS for the Estonian Defence Forces.
ECDI, which signed the Piorun supply agreement with Mesko in autumn 2022, described the weapon as “one of the most successful systems in the Ukrainian war,” with its easy deployment.