1 photo + video

Missile

Poland

Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa

Piorun

A Polish man-portable infrared-homing surface-to-air missile developed from the earlier Grom, with improved seeker resistance to countermeasures and a larger warhead. Widely delivered to Ukraine since 2022, where it has been credited with numerous aircraft and helicopter kills.

In service since 2019 · 6 operator countries

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-02

km range

2.6

Mach

kg warhead

Pricing: Unit cost not publicly disclosed

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

National export licensing

Subject to Poland export-control approval; verify eligibility with the manufacturer.

Channel: Direct commercial / G2G

Fielded & proven

Established · 6 operators

In service since 2019. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Performance specifications
Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters.	2.6 Mach Stronger than 57% of missiles
Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.	7 km Stronger than 12% of missiles

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Firepower specifications
Warhead Warhead mass. Heavier generally means larger effect radius, at the cost of range.	2 kg Bottom 3% of missiles
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.	Blast-fragmentation
Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire.	Infrared homing

Physical

Dimensions, weight and crew.

Physical specifications
Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable.	1.6 m
Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor.	17 kg

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion specifications
Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…	Solid-fuel rocket

Program

Cost, production scale and operators.

Program specifications
Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem.	6 Stronger than 61% of missiles

Specifications compiled from public Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-02.

Compare with rivals

See how it stacks up

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Piorun AGM-86 ALCM

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View AGM-86 ALCM ↗

Missile

Piorun AIM-7 Sparrow

Raytheon (RTX) AIM-7 Sparrow

View AIM-7 Sparrow ↗

Missile

Piorun AGM-88E AARGM

Northrop Grumman AGM-88E AARGM

View AGM-88E AARGM ↗

Head-to-head comparisons

Piorun vs

FIM-92 Stinger

Frequently asked questions

What is the range of the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun? +

The Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun has a maximum range of 7 km.

How much does the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun weigh? +

The Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun has a combat weight of 17 kg.

What is the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun used for? +

The Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun is a missile typically used for air defense.

How many countries operate the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun? +

The Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun is operated by 6 countries.

How much does the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun cost? +

Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa Piorun: Unit cost not publicly disclosed. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.