Poland to buy rocket system from Lockheed Martin

Poland will probably sign a supply deal with Lockheed Martin very soon for its long-planned Homar mobile artillery missile launcher project, defense minister Antoni Macierewicz said. “The contract will probably be signed with Lockheed Martin. This is the most modern weapon that gives you the ability to fire missiles for over 300 kilometers,” Macierewicz explained. Earlier that day, state-owned arms producer Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) announced that it has picked Lockheed Martin as a partner in this project and submitted this recommendation to the defense ministry. The decision is necessary to continue negotiations and to launch formal order procedures. According to PGZ, Lockheed Martin offer was “the best one, when it comes to fulfilling Polish Army needs and the transfer of technology.” Other companies that were in the running, included Israeli Military Industries Systems (IMI) and Israeli Aircraft Industries (IAI), as well as Turkish Rocketsan. Poland plans to buy three high mobility artillery rocket systems, codenamed Homar (lobster). Such systems, armed with missiles, are capable of destroying targets within 300 kilometers reach.