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VIGO Photonics and the Polish Ammunition Ring Join Forces to Develop Polish Smart Ammunition and Optoelectronic Systems for Drones
PRESS RELEASE
Ożarów Mazowiecki, September 10, 2026
VIGO Photonics S.A. (WSE: VGO), a global technology manufacturer of advanced photonic mid-infrared detectors, detection modules, and semiconductor materials, has signed a Letter of Intent with companies belonging to the Polish Ammunition Ring (Polski Pierścień Amunicyjny). The partnership aims to develop modern technologies for the defense sector. The cooperation will include the development of precision and smart artillery ammunition, as well as optoelectronic systems used in drones.
The Polish Ammunition Ring is an industrial consortium bringing together Polish defense sector companies to develop and expand national capacity for the production and supply of large-caliber ammunition and other military hardware. Through its special purpose vehicles, such as AMC Polish Arsenal, the consortium is expanding technological capability alongside partners from Central and Eastern Europe. This initiative groups Polish manufacturing expertise to supply ammunition and drone systems for the domestic market, covering smart and guided ammunition for the Polish Armed Forces, European allied forces, and non-European clients.
Cooperation under the LOI includes the potential development of guidance support modules and other solutions to enhance ammunition effectiveness in the future, particularly for guided and smart ammunition produced or developed within the consortium's new manufacturing capacities. Additionally, the parties will analyze using VIGO solutions in observation and reconnaissance systems for various drone types (including Reacto-class drones). The partnership will also explore solutions enabling drones to operate more effectively in difficult conditions, such as after dark, in smoke, or under reduced visibility.
VIGO and the Polish Ammunition Ring will assess the integration of VIGO sensors and detectors into the construction and automation of modern large-caliber artillery ammunition factories. The goal is to raise the quality, safety, and efficiency of manufacturing processes. Another potential area of collaboration involves R&D projects for vehicle and facility protection systems, as well as chemical detection systems. These projects are dual-use, meaning the developed technologies will serve not only military needs but also critical infrastructure protection, fire monitoring, and counter-drone systems.
The partnership between VIGO and the Polish Ammunition Ring companies fits into a period of record-setting modernization for the Polish Armed Forces. The implementation of the SAFE program, under which contracts worth nearly PLN 60 billion have been signed for modern equipment deliveries, generates significant demand for advanced domestic optoelectronic components.
"This is a breakthrough moment for the Polish defense industry. Record orders under the SAFE program generate immense demand for our technologies, which form a critical component of modern defense systems. The partnership with the Polish Ammunition Ring opens a promising application area for our infrared detectors and arrays: smart precision ammunition alongside drone reconnaissance and observation systems. Our ambition is to provide the Polish military with world-class solutions manufactured entirely domestically, genuinely strengthening our technological sovereignty and national security," says Adam Piotrowski, CEO of VIGO Photonics.
"In our newly built facilities, we are expanding our capabilities to manufacture large-caliber ammunition. Alongside classic 155 mm and 120 mm caliber sets, we are already planning for the next generation of products. We see a clear need to develop and subsequently mass-produce smart ammunition that utilizes modern optoelectronic solutions. This agreement opens the path for us to build these competencies and introduce such products into our future portfolio," says Marcin Krawczyk, Vice President of the Polish Ammunition Ring.
VIGO Photonics continues to execute its strategy of strengthening its position in the defense sector. In July of this year, the company raised approximately PLN 63 million through a Series G share offering. This funding will finance the launch of full-scale production of infrared arrays—a technology that, alongside ammunition projects, will serve as a key element of vision systems in the Polish military's state-of-the-art vehicles.
Contact for media and investors:
Piotr Piotrowski, cc group
piotr.piotrowski@ccgroup.pl, +48 697 613 010
Karolina Sałajczyk-Stefańska, VIGO Photonics
+48 538 565 256
VIGO Photonics S.A. (WSE: VGO) is a global manufacturer of high-tech solutions, specializing in the most advanced mid-infrared photonic detectors, dedicated modules, and semiconductor materials. Its innovative devices have gained recognition and are widely used by numerous international clients in the industrial and transportation sectors, as well as in environmental protection, medicine, defense, and security. The quality of VIGO Photonics detectors has also been confirmed during NASA missions to Mars (including the Curiosity rover), where they were used to detect traces of methane on the planet.
VIGO Photonics is successfully expanding its operations in the production of semiconductor materials. To this end, the company has refined and utilizes epitaxy technology (the deposition of selected crystal layers onto a crystalline substrate) using elements from groups III–V of the periodic table. As part of its development strategy, VIGO Photonics aims to supply the global market with photonic integrated circuits (PICs) based on these semiconductors. These systems will have numerous applications in the consumer electronics industry. The company also aims to achieve a leading position in the emerging European silicon chip market.
VIGO Photonics (formerly VIGO Photonics) began operations in 1987 and has been listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange since 2014. The company is headquartered in Ożarów Mazowiecki and has a subsidiary in the United States. It employs approximately 200 highly qualified specialists and scientists. In August 2022, the company changed its name to VIGO Photonics, having previously operated under the name VIGO Photonics.
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