The Polish Armament Agency has awarded a new contract for a total of almost $2 billion to acquire 22 air defense batteries with British-designed Common Anti-Air Modular Missiles (CAMMs) and launchers from MBDA.According to a press release from MBDA, the company will provide missiles and missile launchers to support Poland’s modernization and manufacture of a total of 22 PILICA+ air defense batteries – making it the largest European short-range air defense acquisition program in NATO.Designed by PGZ, PILICA+ will combine MBDA’s CAMM short-range radar-guided missiles with Polish-made autocannon and very-short-range infrared-guided missiles into a triple-layer system commanded by a Polish command and control system and guided by Polish radars. PILICA+ will operate as the inner tier of a highly-capable integrated Polish air defense network also including the upper-tier WISLA system and mid-tier NAREW system, which MBDA is also supporting with PGZ.CAMM, with its multi-channel, radar-guided, all-weather ability to defeat stressing air threats out to 25 km, will deliver a major enhancement to the capabilities of the Polish PILICA+ system in ensuring the defense of high-value and mobile assets. CAMM first entered service with the UK Armed Forces in 2018, with the CAMM family (including CAMM-ER co-developed with Italy) rapidly proving a success on the international market.Poland is already a user of MBDA’s CAMM, receiving a first battery in 2022 in response to an urgent requirement called mała (small) NAREW that was successfully delivered by MBDA and PGZ in 6 months. MBDA and PGZ also continue to work towards contracting the technology transfer and Polish manufacture of the mid-tier NAREW air defense program, utilizing the extended range CAMM-ER missile and a common iLauncher solution, and on co-operation on future missiles for higher air defense tiers (through a contract placed in 2022).