Estonian Defense Forces Receive First Batch of Piorun MANPADS
The Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI) has delivered the first batch of Polish-made Piorun short-range man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) to the Estonian Defence Forces (EDF).
This delivery, which significantly increases the Estonian Defense Forces’ defense capability, was carried out as part of a 103-million-euro ($113 million) agreement signed in the autumn of 2022 by the Estonian Center for Defense Investments and the Polish defense technology company Mesko. Under this arrangement, the MESKO company will supply Estonia with 300 missiles and 100 launch systems for the portable air defense missile system PIORUN.
In a statement about the delivery, Estonian Centre for Defense Investments (ECDI) Armament Category Manager Ramil Lipp said: “Despite the general security situation, high demand and component shortage, Mesko was able to fulfill its contractual obligations and deliveries were made on time, which shows the utmost determination of the Polish state and our contract partner.”
The total number of missiles and launchers included in this initial delivery batch, which began in early 2024, is unclear. However, these deliveries are expected to continue until 2025. These new systems will be employed by a special wartime unit of the Estonian Defence Forces, which will operate under the division’s direct authority and be trained mostly from reservists.
Estonian Division Air Defense Commander Lieutenant Colonel Tanel Lelov said, “PIORUN air defence missiles provide additional air defence not only to maneuver units but also to objects that are not in the immediate vicinity of the front line but are located further in the rear, yet are important from the perspective of Estonia’s defense,” Lieutenant Colonel Tanel Lelov went on to say “In Ukraine, these missiles have proven to be effective in destroying most air attack vehicles, and the principles of their use there will undoubtedly be taken into consideration when training Estonian troops and using the system itself.”
The PIORUN Man-Portable Air Defense Missile System (MANPADS), produced by the Polish defense company Mesko, is a modernized version of the Grom. The Piorun system was first revealed in 2015 and went into service with the Polish Armed Forces in 2019. Since its initial launch, the system has been exported to Norway, Slovakia, Latvia, Estonia and the United States. It has also played an important role in the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ fight against Russian aggression.
The PIORUN portable air defense system, which is meant to neutralize aircraft, helicopters, UAVs, and winged rockets, has a length of 1.56 meters and a full load weight of 16.5 kilograms. The missile employed in the PIORUN system has a 72mm diameter, a 10.5 kg weight, and a high-explosive fragmentation warhead. The system utilizes passive infrared guidance with an argon-cooled seeker and is supplemented by a day/night optical sight installed on the launcher. Aside from these, PIORUN also comes with an authorization system that provides capabilities such as tracking-engagement mode selection, target type identification, weather condition evaluation, friend-foe identification and uninterrupted communication with optical and thermal imaging sights.