On Tuesday, July 29, 2025, the Minister of Defence of the Kingdom of Belgium, Theo Francken, announced via social media that he had approved a budget request the previous day for the purchase of 40 Piorun man-portable air-defense systems from Mesko, a member of the Polish Armaments Group. This decision follows a letter of intent signed on May 12 of this year.
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The funding request for the purchase in Poland was submitted to the Minister of Budget, Vincent Van Peteghem. A total of 40 launch units and several hundred missiles will be ordered for the equivalent of 137 million EUR (586.04 million PLN), with the first deliveries expected later this year.
It is worth noting that, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz in May of this year, the letter of intent covers approximately 200 to 300 Piorun systems. He also stated that Mesko plans to exceed 3,000 employees, thanks to the construction of a second Piorun MANPADS production line.
The Piorun systems will be delivered to the Special Operations Regiment (SOR), part of the Belgian Land Component, which, according to Minister Theo Francken, has been waiting 15 years for this acquisition.
“At my first international meeting at NATO Headquarters, I requested a bilateral meeting with my Polish counterpart, among other things to discuss this purchase. After all, the PIORUN has achieved impressive results in Ukraine. We scheduled a meeting. I visited the PIORUN factory in Poland, and we signed an agreement immediately,” noted Belgian minister.
Piorun MANPADS
Piorun is the flagship product of Mesko and is in service with the Polish Armed Forces. The missile system has gained international recognition in the context of the war in Ukraine. The realities of the battlefield have confirmed its key attributes, effectiveness, reliability, high build quality, and user safety (the 3000th Piorun MANPADS has been produced by Mesko).
Currently, Piorun strengthens the defensive capabilities not only of the Polish Army but also of countries such as the United States, Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia. A contract is expected to be signed soon with Slovakia, and according to media reports, Piorun will be integrated into the Israeli SPYDER system recently ordered by Romania. Armed forces around the world have also expressed interest in Mesko’s man-portable air-defense systems, including those in France and a Balkan country. The system has been showcased in Thailand.
Piorun MANPADS are designed to engage low-flying aerial targets such as aircraft, helicopters, and drones. Within the Polish Armed Forces, they are used as part of the lowest layer of the air defense system, at short ranges and low altitudes (VSHORAD).
Piorun is a modernized version of the Grom MANPADS, which is also in service with the Polish military. The modernization included a redesigned launch mechanism, a new, more sensitive seeker head, and an optoelectronic sight mounted on a special rail. These improvements enhanced target acquisition, resistance to countermeasures, and increased the effective range to 5,500–6,500 meters, at altitudes from 10 to 4,000 meters.
Further upgrades include the addition of a proximity fuse (in addition to the traditional impact fuse) and a directional warhead, improving the system’s effectiveness against small targets such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Additionally, a user authorization system and the ability to operate in night conditions have been introduced.
Goed nieuws!
De aankoopprocedure van de PIORUN luchtverdediging zit op schema. Gisteren tekende ik de begrotingsaanvraag aan collega Van Peteghem. De eerste systemen komen er nog dit jaar aan.
PIORUN
De PIORUN is een Pools air-defense systeem in de categorie van de Mistral en…
— Theo Francken (@FranckenTheo) July 29, 2025