Correspondent-at-Large Andrzej Marszewski reports from Kielce, Poland
PGO S.A. and Llanelec Precision Engineering signed a Framework Agreement at MSPO 2026, formalising a partnership the two companies have built over five years. The agreement covers joint projects, supply-chain cooperation and the exchange of engineering support and manufacturing expertise and combines Polish manufacturing capacity with Welsh precision-engineering experience, giving practical substance to the growing British-Polish defence relationship.
Llanelec CEO Spencer John called it an important step in the company’s international strategy and a firm foundation for further cooperation. He described Poland as a “natural fit” for Llanelec, pointing to a shared industrial culture between Wales and Poland built on pride in craftsmanship and a strong work ethic. “Both companies will be stronger together,” he said, adding that despite five years of groundwork, the agreement is “only the beginning [and that Poland is] a perfect place to do business, because of high cultural norms and a serious approach to the growth of the defence industry, which puts many other European countries to shame.”
PGO CEO Łukasz Petrus struck a similar note. “Both companies have capabilities that complement each other very well, and we therefore see real potential for jointly delivering future projects,” he said. Petrus added that PGO’s goal extends beyond immediate sales: building relationships that embed Polish manufacturing into international supply chains, creating capacity that can sustain programmes in peacetime and scale quickly in a crisis.
Group Captain Chris Brown, the British Defence Attaché in Warsaw, supported the agreement. “This exciting development is a perfect example of Polish and British firms combining their expertise to bolster supply chain resilience […] The PGO-Llanelec partnership directly supports the delivery of the Northolt Treaty [British-Polish Defence Treaty] and illustrates the UK’s commitment to long-term partnership with Polish industry.”
Five years of engagement gave PGO and Llanelec time to understand each other’s capabilities, standards and ambitions. The agreement now gives that trust a commercial structure to convert into specific new projects. Izabella Sokołowska-Krawczyńska of PGO was a driving force behind the relationship, credited by both sides for the patience and persistence needed to bring it to this point.
PGO describes itself as Poland’s largest manufacturer of castings and forgings, with capabilities spanning steel, cast iron and high-pressure die-cast aluminium castings, steel and aluminium forgings and CNC machining, backed by toolmaking, pattern-making, heat treatment and in-house research labs. That range lets PGO work across the full cycle, from technology development and manufacturing preparation to finished components. A shortage of castings, forgings or machined parts can delay an entire vehicle or weapons system, a risk sharpened by the high attrition rates of modern warfare, hence it is crucial for the resilience of a country’s defence industry.
Llanelec brings the complementary piece: precision engineering, and the manufacture, repair and supply of components for demanding applications, built on a 35-year track record as a trusted supplier to the UK Ministry of Defence supporting multiple British armoured vehicles. Llanelec is set to announce further cooperation programmes with PGO and other Polish organisations.
What comes next is identifying programmes, meeting new certification requirements and turning five years of relationship-building into new orders. Europe’s rearmament depends as much on factories, skilled workers and dependable suppliers as it does on prime contractors and headline platforms. By linking PGO’s manufacturing capacity with Llanelec’s precision engineering, this agreement strengthens exactly that foundation and is another milestone in the bilateral cooperation between the United Kingdom and Poland.
Headline image shows (l to r) Group-Captain Chris Brown, British Defence Attache in Warsaw, Lukasz Petrus, CEO of PGO, Felix Johnston-Brunn, Head of Defence Industry Relations, British Embassy Warsaw and Spencer John, CEO at Llanelec (via Andrzej Marszewski)
