Mesko Jack-S is the new incarnation of PIRAT

At the end of 2020, Mesko S.A. completed the development of the lightweight anti-tank guided missile system Pirat. However, the formal conclusion of the development work under the agreement with the Industrial Development Agency (ARP) did not signify the end of the company’s efforts to improve the design. Initial conceptual and research work on modifications began almost immediately, in 2021. Despite the Polish Ministry of National Defense (MON) not yet making any decisions regarding potential orders of Pirat systems for the Polish Armed Forces, increasing interest in this construction from potential foreign clients led to a decision in 2023 to develop an export-oriented anti-tank guided missile system as a further development of the Pirat know-how, indirectly named Jack-S as a nod to the original. Another motivation for continuing the work was also the desire to apply newer, alternative design solutions in the rocket and launcher components.

Shoulder-fired launcher of the Jack-S anti-tank guided missile

The idea for the new product “Jack-S,” a lightweight anti-tank system, emerged during numerous discussions with our foreign counterparts. The significant increase in exports over the last two years, besides financial results, also signifies a closer alignment with new markets where customers have their own, often different from Polish, requirements. Analyzing these requirements and quickly developing an appropriate product now allows for contract negotiations,”

says Elżbieta Śreniawska, CEO of Mesko S.A.

A  handle that makes using the launcher easier

The Jack-S system is designed to engage moving targets with a maximum speed of up to 50 km/h, regardless of their direction of movement. There is also the possibility of integrating it into various vehicles, including armored personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, light reconnaissance vehicles, boats, or unmanned ground vehicles such as Perun.

The fundamental parameters of the Jack-S system remain similar to the Pirat. The total weight is 15.5 kg (Pirat 15.2 kg), the operational range falls between 200 to 2500 m, and the armor penetration capability is 500 mm RHA. The container for the 107 mm caliber missile has a slightly longer length: 1215 mm compared to Pirat’s 1180 mm.

Jack-S Optical sights

The guided missile itself is undergoing evolution. From what is known about the implemented changes, a new concept of initiating the fuze has been introduced, among other things. This solution requires conducting field tests to confirm the correctness of the design assumptions in this area as well as the safety of using the system. After the positive verification of these changes, the intended configuration of Jack-S will be tested, followed by extensive factory trials to confirm the advantages of the new design.

Sight viewed from the operator’s side

– The new design of the Jack-S system is based on all the company’s experiences related to designing and serial production of missiles. Of course, the know-how developed during the Pirat project is of great importance here. In addition to operational parameters, ensuring an attractive price is also a crucial factor. Optimizing the costs of serial production by utilizing all the elements of the production chain already present in the company’s divisions is obvious. Additionally, when planning new production facilities and broadly understood manufacturing technology, we draw on the experiences and indirect solutions present in our American and European partners, emphasizes Marcin Ożóg, a member of the board for production at Mesko S.A.

Missile launch button on the Jack-S system launcher handle / Photos: Mesko S.A.

The introduced design changes aim to streamline the production process. As a result, in the event of receiving orders, Mesko S.A. will be able to produce more Jack-S systems than would be the case with Pirat. The company does not exclude that as a result, some of the new solutions applied to Jack-S will also be used in Pirat. In the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, it probably does not need to be emphasized that production capabilities are no less important than just the technical parameters of armaments. The increasing examples of ammunition shortages, particularly noticeable when it comes to artillery ammunition, unequivocally show that the scale of ammunition consumption in a full-scale war is so large that the current scale of production, which takes place at a peacetime level, is far from sufficient.