Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak announced via X (Twitter) on 3 August 2023 the conclusion of a contract for the procurement of several hundred Spike LR anti-tank guided missiles. Details came from Polish defence agency Agencja Uzbrojenia on 6 August.
According to the report, Polish ammunition manufacturer Mesko has been contracted to supply several hundred Spike LRs in the period 2023 to 2026. The contract value was stated at PLN 400 M (EUR 100 M). Further procurement of launchers is currently being prepared, he added.
In addition to being used by dismounted infantry, the Spike missiles will also arm Poland’s Rosomak 8×8 infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and future Borsuk IFVs. “We are consistently strengthening the anti-tank capabilities of our army. … A modernised and well-equipped army is a guarantee of our security,” Błaszczak tweeted.
Mesko is part of Polish defence group PGZ and produces Spike guided missiles and launchers under licence from Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems. Mesko and Rafael have been co-operating since 2003, with the Polish armed forces receiving more than 3,000 guided missiles and more than 260 launchers to date.
The Spike LR missile, which has a fibre-optic datalink and uses imaging infrared guidance, can be used in either ‘fire-and-forget’ mode or ‘fire, observe and update’ mode against targets up to 4 km away.
Because of its warhead with tandem shaped charge and splitters, Spike is suitable for combat against armoured or unarmoured targets. It is currently unclear whether the upgraded Spike LR2 version with a range of 5.5 km and a multi-purpose warhead will also be adopted by Poland.
Gerhard Heiming
