Poland has awarded a 2-billion złoty ($550 million) contract to domestic defense firm Wojskowe Zakłady Łączności Nr 1 for the provision of mobile communication nodes in support of Phase II of the Wisła air and missile defense program.
The communication nodes play a critical role in the system, ensuring secure, encrypted, and interference-resistant communications at both tactical and operational levels. The agreement includes the supply of 56 nodes, accompanied by comprehensive logistics and training support, with delivery scheduled between 2027 and 2030.
The Wisła program’s Phase I, initiated in 2018, deployed two Patriot batteries equipped with PAC-3 MSE interceptors and the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS), achieving initial operational capability in December 2024. Phase II, authorized in 2023, will add six additional Patriot batteries integrated with IBCS and implement the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor, replacing the existing Patriot radar. Featuring Gallium Nitride-based active electronically scanned array technology, the radar provides 360-degree tracking and is designed to counter advanced ballistic and hypersonic threats. Low-rate initial production is slated for early 2025, with full-rate production projected by 2028.
