Poland orders domestically produced assault rifles under EU SAFE programme
The Polish Armaments Agency on Wednesday signed a contract for the delivery of MSBS Grot A3 assault rifles manufactured by the Lucznik Arms Factory, with financing provided through the European Union's low-interest defence loan instrument, SAFE.
The agreement was signed in Radom, central Poland, by the head of the Armaments Agency, Maj-Gen Artur Kuptel and Lucznik's CEO Seweryn Figurski. Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz and his deputy, Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, also attended the ceremony.
Speaking after the event, Kosiniak-Kamysz described the contract as "particularly important", noting that it provides for the delivery of 46,000 rifles to the Polish military — or 100,000 including a recently signed annex — at a total cost of PLN 600 million (EUR 140 mln) between 2026 and 2027.
Kosiniak-Kamysz described the MSBS Grot as a "truly exceptional rifle" and said the procurement was made possible through Poland's participation in the SAFE programme. He added that the EU instrument had helped boost Poland's defence spending to record levels, rising from around PLN 60 million (EUR 14 mln) four years ago to approximately PLN 200 million (EUR 46.7 mln) today.
Manufactured by Lucznik, the Grot family of rifles is becoming the standard assault rifle of the Polish Armed Forces.
According to the manufacturer, the MSBS A3 model is the most advanced version of the weapon, incorporating improvements developed from operational feedback provided by users of earlier Grot models. (PAP)
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