December 30, 2003	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 6, 1424

AL QUDS, Dec 29: Israel’s Defence Ministry said on Monday it signed a deal worth about $250 million to produce and supply anti-tank missiles for Poland.

The ministry said in a statement the television-guided Spike missiles, which have a range of about 4 km, will be made by state-run defence contractor Rafael Armament Development Authority.

“This decision...reflects a strategic choice that will hopefully pave the way for a further enhancement of Polish-Israeli defence relations,” Defence Ministry director-general Amos Yaron said in the statement.

A Rafael spokesman said the contract with Nato member Poland is for thousands of missiles and would start immediately.

“This is one of the largest contracts we ever signed,” he said, noting it surpassed a $150 million deal with the Dutch military for the same Spike missiles.

Poland’s PAP news agency reported meantime the deal is to supply short and long-range Spike missiles between 2004-2013.

Poland’s state owned Zaklady Metalowych Mesko SA will upgrade its production line to co-build the missiles under licence, it said.

Finland and Singapore have also bought Israeli Spike missiles.

Rafael, one of Israel’s three state-owned defence contractors, is expected to post record sales of $900 million for 2003 and has an order backlog of about $1.8 billion.—Reuters