The first Polish-made Patriot launcher and resupply vehicle delivered by Huta Stalowa Wola was displayed at International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2021. (Janes/Jakub Link-Lenczowski)

Delivery of the first battery of the Wisła medium-range air-defence (MRAD) system to the Polish Armed Forces has been completed, Polish Armaments Agency (AA) spokesperson Kacper Bakuła told Janes on 2 June.

The programme, which will provide upper-tier air defence, is divided into two phases. Under phase one the first of the two purchased Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries is being established. Referring to the second battery, Bakuła said, “Further deliveries of the key battery components are planned to be completed by the end of September.”

Poongsan's 127 mm naval guided munition has a range of about 100 km. (Janes/Mike Plunkett)

South Korean ammunition firm Poongsan has unveiled a 127 mm gun-launched, extended-range guided munition for naval applications at the MADEX 2023 exhibition in Busan.

Dong Won Lee, Poongsan's director of defence products exports, told Janes that the concept of 127 mm Gliding Guided Naval Munition (GGNM) is centred on the projectile being fired on a steep trajectory to a high altitude, estimated to be in the region of 20 km.

He said that once the munition reaches the highest point in its flight its wings are deployed, allowing the projectile to glide to a range of approximately 100 km.

The inclusion of Global Positioning System (GPS)-assisted guidance enables high accuracy, even at maximum range, Lee said. The navigation system also allows the GGNM to follow a flightpath to avoid obstacles or known defences, although this will have an impact of the achievable overall range, he said.

A model of the South Korea-developed CIWS-II on display at MADEX 2023. (Janes/Ridzwan Rahmat)

The Republic of Korea Navy's (RoKN's) Ulsan-class Batch III frigates will be equipped with the indigenously developed ‘CIWS-II' close in weapon system (CIWS) but only from 2026.

This indicative timeline is almost two years later than originally planned as the RoKN has requested for slight design changes to be made to the CIWS-II, said an LIG Nex1 representative who spoke to Janes at the International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX) 2023 in Busan, South Korea.

In 2021 LIG Nex1 won the contract to locally develop and produce a CIWS that can be deployed on future RoKN ships. The service largely relies on the Goalkeeper CIWS for its close-in defence requirements and the weapon is deployed on vessels such as the KDX-I and KDX-2 destroyers. The RoKN has also opted for the Phalanx CIWS for its second Dokdo-class amphibious assault ship, ROKS Marado.