{"id":55148,"date":"2019-11-20T19:04:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T19:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/20\/northrop-sets-up-shop-in-warsaw\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:01:00","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:01:00","slug":"northrop-sets-up-shop-in-warsaw","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/land\/2019\/11\/20\/northrop-sets-up-shop-in-warsaw\/","title":{"rendered":"Northrop sets up shop in Warsaw"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Northrop Grumman opened its first office in Poland, in the heart of Warsaw, on Nov. 19 primarily to support the first foreign customer of its air and missile defense command-and-control system<\/a> that has yet to be fielded by the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPoland will be the first allied nation to acquire the [Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System]<\/a> IBCS and will field it nearly concurrently with the U.S. Army, meaning Poland will get the latest technology and innovative product,\u201d U.S. Ambassador to Poland Georgette Mosbacher said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new 12,000-square-foot office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Polish government selected Northrop Grumman\u2019s state-of-the-art [IBCS] to serve as the centerpiece of the country\u2019s modernization strategy for air-and-missile defense capability and has the largest installed base of the Northrop Grumman MK44 Bushmaster Chain Gun worldwide,\u201d according to a company statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe office in Warsaw will enhance progress on the WISLA medium range air-and-missile defense program and other efforts with Poland\u2019s government and industries, and will serve as the company\u2019s Poland headquarters,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a long road for Poland\u2019s Wisla acquisition, which has experienced hiccups from the very beginning. The government raced to acquire a missile defense system shortly after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. But it wouldn\u2019t be until 2018 when Poland and the U.S. government solidified a deal <\/a>for the procurement of the Raytheon-made Patriot system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet, the deal only covers the purchase of the first two systems<\/a>, which will be the current variant available for foreign military sale but will include IBCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There were many times where those following the possible procurement thought it would fall through. Poland first selected the Patriot in 2014, but with a change in government, the new president wanted to take another look at the options available for a medium-range system.<\/p>\n\n\n\t