Lockheed Martin and RTX’s [RTX] Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) has signed an agreement with Poland’s state-run PGZ firm to work toward establishing a production line for the anti-tank missiles in the country.
Poland will become the first country outside of the U.S. to produce Javelins, with Lockheed Martin and RTX citing the new memorandum of understanding (MoU) as “intended to support increasing current and future inventory demand” for the weapon.
“This partnership will strengthen our relationship with Poland and ensure they have the deterrence capabilities needed to support their national security,” Dave Pantano, JJV vice president and Lockheed Martin’s Javelin program director, said in a statement. “The MoU allows us to develop a strategic long-term international partnership with PGZ and create a win-win scenario for both Poland and the U.S. to supply our customers with Javelin’s proven capabilities.”
The U.S. has been providing Ukraine with thousands of Javelin anti-tank missiles in support of Kyiv’s fight against Russia’s ongoing invasion.
The Army in May awarded Lockheed Martin and RTX a potential $7.2 billion deal covering procurement of up to 28,000 Javelins, which the companies have said will support ramping up production to 3,960 anti-tank missiles per year by late 2026 (Defense Daily, May 4).
“Both the JJV and PGZ are working closely with the U.S. and Polish governments for any needed approvals or authorization,” a Lockheed Martin spokesperson told Defense Daily on Thursday. “Through the MoU agreement, the JJV and PGZ will explore opportunities to work together on increasing security of supply of Javelin production. This agreement is not required for the JJV to meet its commitments to the U.S. Army for deliveries or to ramp production to 3,960 rounds per year, and we are on track to reach that level by 2026.”
The JJV is now working with PGZ on establishing a “mutually agreeable scope of work,” including timelines, for establishing Javelin co-production in Poland, according to the Lockheed Martin spokesperson.
Lockheed Martin and RTX noted the agreement with PGZ will specifically explore the establishment of a final assembly facility for Javelins as well as component production capabilities in Poland.
“This agreement will stabilize future production of the Javelin system for U.S. forces while providing unique opportunities for Polish industry,” Lockheed Martin said in a statement.
Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s acquisition chief, said last week to expect announcements in the coming months on munitions co-production efforts with other countries, similar to the recently detailed plan for Australia to begin building Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (GMLRS) rockets by 2025 (Defense Daily, Aug. 29).
“You’re going to see announcements in Europe about production lines being started up. You’re going to see co-production lines being stood up, some within the United States that will be supporting places overseas. We’re putting a whole bunch of those [announcements] together,” LaPlante told reporters following his remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association’s Emerging Technologies for Defense conference.