Saab AB signed a teaming agreement with Polish defense company MESKO, a member of the Polish Armament Group (PGZ) for the long-term maintenance and support of the Polish Navy’s RBS15 Mk3 surface-to-surface missile system, Saab said Thursday.
The RBS15 Mk3 was originally contracted in 2006 and is on-board the Polish Navy’s Orkan-class fast attack craft. It is a long-range missile that can serve as the main anti-surface armament for any naval vessel and is designed to operate in various scenarios ranging from blue waters, littoral waters, and land attack missions. The RBS15 Mk3 also allows for fire-and-forget operability in all-weather conditions with a pre-launch programmable active radar seeker.
The teaming agreement was originally signed in September at the International Defence Industry Exhibition in Kielce, Poland. It is a long-term agreement with the goal of strengthening the cooperation between Saab and MESKO. The agreement also establishes a center of maintenance and support in Skarżysko-Kamienna, Poland for the RBS15 missiles, which itself aims to increase the efficiency of the RBS15 Mk3 maintenance for the Polish Navy, Saab said.
“We are pleased to announce this important co-operation agreement with MESKO, providing the Polish Navy with an increased ability to maintain their RBS15 Mk3 missiles for many years to come. With this agreement we strengthen our footprint in Poland and we see a great future for the RBS15 Mk3 missile system”, Jason Howard, head of Saab Poland, said in a statement.
“This agreement guarantees that both companies are committed to joining together their capabilities to ensure fruitful and effective collaboration within the framework of the Polish Naval Programs, i.e. Czapla, Miecznik, and Ślązak or other PNP programs,” Dariusz Szlafka, member of the Management Board and Production Director of MESKO SA, added.
“This action will help fully meet the needs and expectations of the Polish government and ultimately contribute to the country’s security. This is also an opportunity for our company to become a part of Saab’s global supply chain”, he said.
The RBS15 Mk3 is jointly produced and marketed by Saab and German company Diehl BGT Defence.
MESKO is one of 60 companies in the PGZ, a large defense industry holding company in Europe.