MBDA opens Polish missile service center for PILICA+
European missile manufacturer MBDA has inaugurated its first industrial facility in Poland, a service and technology hub supporting the PILICA+ short-range
European defense contractor MBDA has opened its first industrial site in Poland. The facility in Czosnow will act as a service and technology center for the company's operations, primarily supporting the PILICA+ air defense program.
Senior officials from Poland, Britain, Italy, and France attended a ceremony to open the center on Monday. UK Minister of State for Defence Readiness and Industry Luke Pollard stated the opening demonstrates the importance of UK-Polish relations amid serious European security challenges.
"At a time when Europe faces its most serious security challenges for generations, the opening of MBDA’s new site demonstrates that the relationship between our two nations has never been more important," Pollard said. He added that stronger Polish air defenses mean stronger NATO air defenses.
Facility Details and Workforce
The facility consists of two buildings located less than 20 miles northwest of Warsaw. According to Malgorzata Kobylarczyk, MBDA Poland’s general manager, one building is 900 square meters and the other is about 3,000 square meters.
The space includes offices, laboratories, a warehouse, and a storage hall adapted for the PILICA launcher. The site is designed to handle multiple launchers simultaneously and stock all necessary spare parts for servicing.
Currently, 11 Polish employees work at the center. Kobylarczyk said the team will expand in late 2026 and early 2027 by adding engineering and technical support staff. This expansion will also provide a suitable workplace for visiting specialists and technicians from the UK who are responsible for the launcher.
Role in the PILICA+ Program
MBDA describes the PILICA+ program as one of the largest European short-range defense acquisition programs in NATO. The system is intended to form the inner tier of a layered Polish air defense network.
This network also includes the upper-tier WILSA system and the mid-tier NAREW system. The first production PILICA systems were handed over to the Polish Army last November at the 34th Air Defense Missile Squadron in Bytom.
That delivery was the first of 16 systems to be supplied under an agreement between Poland's Armament Agency and the PGZ-PILICA+ consortium. The basic PILICA system integrates several components, while the enhanced PILICA+ variant adds new capabilities.
Strategic Partnership and Innovation
In a press release, MBDA CEO Eric Beranger said the new facility strengthens the company's partnership with Poland. He stated it would offer wide-ranging employment opportunities for Poles, including engineers, allowing them to work on new European complex weapons technology.
"This new site will not only serve as a service centre but as a hub of technical innovation, that helps to ensure top-tier engineering talent is developed and maintained in Poland," Beranger said.
The center's opening follows the finalization of a $2.4 billion PILICA+ deal between Poland and the United Kingdom. The facility is now operational, preparing to support the incoming fleet of air defense systems.
