Belgian Special Forces Armed With Polish Piorun MANPADS

The Belgian Special Forces have received their first Polish-made Piorun man-portable air defense systems.

Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken announced the delivery.

“Today, we are officially transferring the Piorun anti-aircraft missile system to the Special Operations Regiment. This significantly strengthens our special forces and airborne units, as well as our air defense — an opportunity we have been seeking for 16 years,” the statement reads.

The planned purchase of 40 launchers and several hundred missiles was first reported on July 30.

The total value of the contract is €137 million. Under the agreement, deliveries of the first systems began this year.

At the same time, a letter of intent signed in May includes an option to purchase an additional 200-300 launchers.

The initial batch of Piorun systems is likely intended to establish basic operational capability, followed by a gradual expansion of the inventory.

For this reason, special forces units may have been selected as the initial operators to support field use, assess performance, and draw conclusions ahead of potential large-scale procurement.

At present, the ground component of the Belgian Armed Forces is equipped with French-made Mistral 3 portable air defense systems.

As Belgium expands its armed forces, military planners may view Piorun as an interim measure to address air defense shortfalls. It is also possible that the Polish MANPADS could eventually become a permanent complement to the Mistral 3.

Piorun MANPADS

The Piorun system is a substantially upgraded version of Poland’s Grom MANPADS, produced by Mesko. The modernization increased the infrared seeker’s sensitivity by a factor of 4.

The missile carries a 1.82-kg warhead and can engage targets at altitudes up to 4,000 meters and ranges up to 6,500 meters.

Poland delivered the first Piorun systems to Ukraine in early February 2022, though the number supplied was not disclosed.

Following its combat performance and amid a global shortage of MANPADS, the Piorun has gained broad international interest.

Supply contracts have already been signed with Norway, Estonia, Lithuania, Georgia, and Slovakia.

The United States is also considering a potential purchase. Poland is concurrently developing a next-generation variant of the system, designated Piorun NG.