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"WISLA" Air Defense

The Wisla system will be one of the main components of the country's Air Defense system. Its basic task will be combating tactical short-range ballistic missiles (including maneuvering), cruise missiles and piloted aircraft in the entire range of speed and flight altitude used by tactical aviation as well as combatting unmanned aerial vehicles. The IBCS / PATRIOT system, delivered to Poland as part of the "WISLA" program, will make the country very resistant to air attacks. The system will monitor the airspace 24 hours a day, it will recognize the threat itself, eg a missile or enemy plane, and it will be able to neutralize it within a dozen or so seconds. The system will allow the Polish Armed Forces to achieve operational capability to provide shields for important facilities, administrative and economic centers, troops during combined defense operations, in a national and allied system.

The Vistula (Wisla, Vistule, Weichsel) River, known as the “Queen of Polish rivers”, has provided an important trade route from the east and south to northern and western Europe. The river is often associated with Polish culture, history and national identity. Also it is the country’s most important waterway and natural symbol, and the term “Vistula Land” can be compared with Poland. Known by many as the “Queen of Polish rivers”, it has provided an important trade route from the east and south to northern and western Europe. The Vistula is one of the last wild waterways in Europe. The river is often associated with Polish culture, history and national identity. Also it is the country’s most important waterway and natural symbol, and the term “Vistula Land” can be compared with Poland.

The delivery of both batteries of the IBCS / PATRIOT system is planned by the end of 2022, and the initial operational capability (IOC) is planned at the turn of 2023 and 2024. The second phase of the program includes acquiring the remaining 6 PATRIOT batteries with IBCS, along with the AESA omni-directional radar and SkyCeptor low-cost missiles. In addition, it is planned to obtain in the Polish defense industry the early detection P-18PL radars and PET/PCL passive radars.

Attractively situated at the source of the Wisla [ Vistula] River, and surrounded by beautiful forests on nearby mountain slopes, The Wisla was a transportation route which brought people together. Settlements were established in its vicinity, and Poland’s longest river became a trail connecting its biggest cities. The river was however already considered a border – it remains a border of sorts. The Wisla runs through both Warsaw and Kraków, but cuts through them in different places. The Wisla didn’t always flow through Kraków the way it does today. In the Middle Ages, it twisted and turned and broke off into branches which divided the town into separate islands. The River Wisla is becoming part of the construct of the contemporary national identity.

The town of Wisla is the perfect holiday destination for those either seeking relaxation or seasonal sports. Known as the Pearl of the Beskid Mountains, it has several landmarks, numerous comfortable pension houses, and many places to eat. The town of Wisla was firstly mentioned in writing in 1615 in the books of the Cieszynska Chamber. The first signs of interest in the town as being close to the source of the Vistula River began towards the end of the 19th century. Around the same time the town’s advantages as a holiday location were noticed and in 1915 Wisla was designated as a summer resort by the national government.

The Castle in Wisla is an avant-garde work of the Polish architectural and artistic thought from the interwar period. It was designed by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz with the cooperation of Andrzej Pronaszko and Wlodzimierz Padlewski. The Castle of the President of the Republic of Poland in Cieszyn Silesia at the springs of the Vistula river was built between 1929 and 1930 on the spot of a burnt wooden hunting castle of the Habsburg family from the wake of the 20th century. It was a gift from the People of Silesia for the President of the Republic of Poland Ignacy Moscicki and his successors.

"On the Vistula River it is safe thanks to the fact that today we are signing a contract that will bring a modern system to Poland. We join the elite group of countries with effective defense, possessing weapons that ensures security" - said Mariusz Blaszczak, the Minister of National Defense during the signing of the contract for the first stage of the "WISLA" program.

The "WISLA" system will be one of the main components of the country's Air Defense system. Minister Mariusz Blaszczak signed a contract for anti-aircraft and anti-missile medium-range missile system "WISLA - 1 Phase" on 28 March 2018 in Warsaw in the PIT-RADWAR S.A. The ceremony was attended by Andrzej Duda, the President of the Republic of Poland and superior of the Armed Forces and by Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister and also by Paul W. Jones, US ambassador to Poland.

The first phase of the program concerns the acquisition of two PATRIOT batteries in the 3+ configuration with the IBCS system. - It is indeed a very important event in the history of the country, it is the highest arms contract in the history. It is a contract thanks to which modern technologies will also come to Poland, based on the negotiated offset, but also on the basis of the polonization of the elements of this system. Polish companies will produce launchers, will produce transport vehicles, they will also produce communication systems - Minister Mariusz Blaszczak emphasized the role of the offset and the participation of the Polish defense industry in the implementation of the contract.

"This unusual, historic moment is the introduction of the Polish army and the Republic of Poland into a whole new world of state-of-the-art technology, modern weaponry and defense measures - argued President Andrzej Duda. - This is the most modern weapon, which will also be partly manufactured here in Poland and will be integrated with American systems. We will be much safer thanks to this" - Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized.

The head of the Ministry of Defense announced the value of the "WISLA" system - stage I contract. Poland will pay 4 billion 750 million dollars for the PATRIOT system together with the battlefield management system. "It's a good price. We will proceed immediately to the second phase of negotiations" the Minister said. The contract for the elements of the "WISLA" system is a huge achievement of Polish negotiators. The initial price we have been offered is $10.5 billion.

Under this value, a total of 10 contracts will be concluded: 5 agreements with the US government (main contract of supply, two training contracts, contract for cryptographic equipment and contract for elements of the LINK-16 system) and 5 domestic contracts (contract for JELCZ vehicles, contract for mobile communications nodes, contract for rocket transport vehicles, contract for F-OPS cabins, contract for C-OPS and E-OPS cabins).

According to the head of the Ministry of Defense, the contract for the elements of the first stage of the "WISLA" system is the enormous achievement of Polish negotiators. The negotiated terms of the agreement, including its value, are the result of several months of negotiations conducted by representatives of the Ministry of National Defense. In the course of them, a detailed analysis of the presented solutions was made and the most favorable from the operational and economic point of view were selected. In addition, among others, the decision was taken to change (in the first phase) configuration for the typical for US Army in the IBCS area and to obtain only key elements of the system through the FMS program and that the remaining elements will be purchased as part of national procedures from the Polish defense industry. Lowering the value of the contract does not affect the combat readiness of the acquired system.

The Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak stressed that Poland will be the second country in the world after the United States with the most modern Patriot sets with the IBCS system. "This system was bought for the Polish Army due to the fact that in Poland the North Atlantic Treaty armies, also the US military, are stationed, so this system will ensure security and ensure the integration of the Polish Army with the United States Army. It is also a very important achievement" he stressed. Also US ambassador to Poland Paul W. Jones emphasized the positive effects of the acquisition of the IBCS / Patriot system by Poland. "The contract for the purchase of the Patriot system means that Poland will be safer, NATO will be stronger and our military cooperation closer than ever; we are allies forever" he said.

"The Polish Government's response to the threats posed by aggressive Russian policy is to strengthen the Polish Armed Forces by increasing the numbers of troops and modernising equipment. We are very pleased that cooperation with the United States is proceeding so smoothly, that we are able to modernise the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces, primarily on the grounds of cooperation with the United States Army, with the armed forces of the United States, as the United States Army is simply the strongest in the world. Both the experience and the equipment that is being provided to the Polish Military is the best in the world," Mariusz Blaszczak, Minister of National Defence said 25 August 2023. Thanks to offset agreements with Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, with a total value of around 1 billion PLN, service, repair and production facilities will be established in Poland to support the WISLA system, consisting of such elements as the LTAMDS radar and PAC-3 MSE missiles. "Experience from the war in Ukraine shows that air and missile defence is very important. I am therefore very pleased that after five years we can once again finalise offset agreements which precede the next phase of our cooperation with regard to acquiring further batteries of the Patriot system for the equipment of the Polish Armed Forces. I thank the Armaments Agency. I would like to thank the presidents of both the Polish Armament Group and Raytheon and Lockheed Martin for very good cooperation, which resulted in 13 offset commitments worth one billion PLN" said Minister Blaszczak during the meeting. An important part of the signed agreements is the inclusion of Polish companies as certified suppliers to US entities. This is not only an opportunity to make a technological leap in the production process, but also to create new solutions in missile technologies together with US partners. This will have a significant impact on the research, development and testing capabilities of the Polish industry.

"Our objective was to acquire modern armaments, but our objective is also to ensure security when it comes to the supply of equipment and the servicing of this equipment. For that reason, the Polish arms industry will co-produce certain components for omnidirectional radars, super modern radars. So far, we have been using zone radars. Now they will be omnidirectional radars, which will be supplied together with the PATRIOT system. The Polish defence industry will be able to develop missile technology. We have already started building a laboratory in Zielonka, at the WZE Zielonka. In connection with another offset commitment, we will be able to develop the competence of the Polish arms industry precisely in this very important field. Another of the offset commitments concerns the possibility of producing fuel for HIMARS missiles. We are now negotiating another agreement on equipping the Polish Military with HIMARS missiles, which perform fantastically on the battlefield in the hands of the brave Ukrainians. The fourth offset commitment relates to the possibility of servicing, operational support when it comes to F-16 and C-130 aircraft. All this is extremely important for Poland's security. Thank you again that we were able to achieve all this. This is beneficial for the United States as well. The inclusion of the Polish potential in the chain of supply of this modern equipment, the possibility of the development of this equipment by Polish scientists, as well as the very fact of strengthening the security of our homeland through just these activities are a very important stage in our cooperation." noted the head of the Ministry of Defence.

The head of the Ministry of Defence stressed that offset is always an investment in the security and development of the Polish industry. "We seize opportunities to invest in the Polish arms industry whenever they occur. In the case of our cooperation with Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, we have the opportunities to invest in the Polish arms industry, we have the opportunities to include the Polish arms industry in the supply chain of these companies. And we take advantage of these opportunities, thus investing in the security of our homeland."

The signing of the agreements was a continuation of the process initiated in the first phase of the WISLA programme. Minister Mariusz Blaszczak in March 2018 signed a contract for the delivery of two batteries of anti-aircraft and anti-missile Patriot systems as part of Phase I of WISLA project. Offset negotiations are also still ongoing with another arms industry leader, Northrop Grumann, an agreement which also are to result in a significant technology transfer.

The State Department made a determination September 11, 2023 approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Poland of an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $4.0 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale.

The Government of Poland has requested to buy phase two of a two-phase program for an Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) enabled PATRIOT Configuration-3+ with modernized sensors and components; the sale includes ninety-three (93) Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS) Engagement Operation Centers (EOCs) and one hundred seventy-five (175) IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN) relays. Also included are network encryptors; IBCS software development and component integration; U.S. Government and contractor technical support; System Integration Lab (SIL) infrastructure; SIL test tools and equipment; U.S. Government and contractor technical support for SIL; flight test infrastructure and equipment; flight test targets; flight test range costs and fees; U.S. Government and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) flight test services and support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $4.0 billion.

This proposed sale will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a North Atlantic Treaty Organization Ally that is a force for political stability and economic progress in Europe.