Germany shows interest in Polish air-defence system, says deputy minister

WARSAW, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Germany is interested in purchasing the Polish-made Piorun man-portable anti-aircraft system, Polish Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk said on Friday.

"Germany has expressed a preliminary interest in purchasing the Piorun and we should be proud of this, as it shows how innovations in the Polish defence industry influence how we are perceived in the world and the interests of our country," Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk said during a press conference.

A spokesperson for the German Defence Ministry declined to comment.

Also on Friday, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that some of the Piorun units Germany wants to purchase are intended for Ukraine, while others would later equip the country's own armed forces.

Poland plans to allocate substantial defence funding, directing resources both to foreign arms purchases and to expanding its domestic weapons industry.

In light of what Warsaw says is the continued threat posed by Russia's war against Ukraine, about 200  billion zlotys ($56  billion) - roughly 5% of GDP - has been earmarked for these efforts this year.

Warsaw also hopes to export arms to other countries.

"I am convinced that not only the Piorun, but also many other products, could be exported in the future," Tomczyk added, without providing any further details about Germany's interest.

Also on Friday, the Polish parliament passed a special law enabling access to the EU SAFE program, worth 43.7 billion euros in low-interest loans, with around 80% of the amount directed to the domestic defence sector.

Tusk said that Poland now produces several defence products regarded internationally as having "absolutely the highest quality."

"Some of these projects, like the Borsuk (infantry fighting vehicle), can be further developed and implemented in cooperation with other NATO partners. They are also serving very well on the Ukrainian front today," Tusk added.

The Piorun system is manufactured at the Mesko and Jelcz plants of the Polish Armaments Group. These systems are used to combat low-altitude air targets and are used, among others, by the Ukrainian army.

Last year, Sweden announced its plans to purchase this system, with the contract valued at over $320 million.

($1 = 3.5527 zlotys)