Polish Defense Ministry to buy new rockets from PGZ

Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (The Polish Armaments Group), has signed an agreement with the Armament Inspectorate of the Ministry of National Defence (MON) for the production and supply of MANPADS "Lightning" rockets for the Armed Forces, said the Ministry in a press release on Wednesday. The contract will cover the years 2017 to 2022 and will involve the production of 300 rockets. The statement also said that the government would spend close to PLN 1 billion on the armaments. Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz said of the deal, "This is one of [our] larger contracts. This weapon will be [part of the] territorial defense of the country as soon as 2017. This is a defensive weapon. We equip our military units primarily with arms to protect Poland." The "Lightning" rocket is designed for combat helicopters, airplanes and winged missiles operating at altitudes between 4,000 and 10,000 meters, the statement said.