The Polish Armed Forces Group, which, in accordance with the framework agreement of August 2023, is expected to supply the army with respective 100 dense infantry vehicles, has requested the Ministry of Defence to request that the fresh BWP be created on the basis of a abroad licence. On a short list of vehicles, which may be on the battlefield support for Abrams, are constructions: Korean, German and Turkish.
In the last decade, the plan to upgrade armored and mechanized WP troops assumed that outdated tanks in the T-72 household would gradually be replaced by Leopard 2A4 machines upgraded to standard Leopard 2PL, while alternatively of PT-91 Tough, a fresh model of the base tank will appear, and the combat infantry cars-1 (BWP-1) will be replaced with a "bewup" which will be developed by the native industry.
And while the final point of this programme has not changed, the geopolitical situation in Europe, including Russia's ever-increasing imperial urges, which led to an armed assault on Ukraine, forced a deep modification of plans to modernise land troops. In line with current needs, they are not only to be more numerous, but besides to have much stronger armored and mechanized troops. Their core should form 2 types of mechanized divisions. The first alleged dense will now be equipped with the heaviest (manufactured) base tanks, or American Abrams M1A2. The second division, “lighter”, is to be armed with Korean K2 Black Panther tanks and German Leopards.
In order to make better usage of Abrams' and K2's operational capabilities, it was decided that in the field of combat they would be supported by matching combat infantry wagons. For Abrams, this was to be a dense BWP (i.e. about 40 tonnes) and for K2 lighter vehicles, with a weight of about 25 tonnes, in addition to the ability to overcome water obstacles independently.
Badger and who?
In the case of the second constructions, it is already clear that it will be a vehicle developed by the Wola Steelworks – a fresh floating combat infantry car Badger with unmanned ZSSW-30 tower. The implementation contract for its transportation is presently being negotiated.
On the another hand, on the second dense BWP, final key decisions have inactive not been taken. Yes, in August 2023 the Armed Forces Agency signed a framework agreement with the consortium of the Polish Armed Forces Group S.A. and Huta Stalowa Wola S.A. for the transportation of 700 wagons. This equipment was to be developed in the framework of investigation and improvement work and later serially produced by the consortium.
However, it appears that these findings have changed. At the session of the Subcommittee on method Modernisation of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, held on December 19, 2024, head of the Brig-Gen Armed Forces Agency. Artur Kuptel revealed that the PGZ-HSW consortium had requested approval from MON to supply dense BWP as part of the alleged adjustment purchase.
What does this mean in practice? The fact that, alternatively of designing a vehicle from scratch, investigating and investigating technology demonstrators and prototypes, the consortium wants to usage the plan of an already finished abroad vehicle, adapting it only to the requirements of the Polish army.
What choice?
Although the Polish Armed Forces Group does not uncover precisely what constructions it intends to propose to the military, experts indicate that there are presently 3 projects in the game that owners could consider (and consider) selling production licenses in Poland. It is an AS-21 Redback vehicle offered by the Korean company Hanwha, developed by the German Rheinmetall Lynx KF41 and the product of Turkish Otokara, or Tulpar.
All of these structures meet the “brzeg” requirements of the Polish army: main armaments in the form of a 30 mm minimum caliber cannon, combined with anti-tank guided projectile launchers; advanced armor, equivalent to many tanks; drive for good handling properties, as well as the ability to transport 8 landing troops.
Importantly, AS-21, Lynx KF41 and Tulpar were equipped with modern command and communication support systems that would let them not only to cooperate with Abrams tanks but besides with chopper aircraft (AH-64E Apache) and F-35 aircraft.
As far as differences are concerned, apart from the caliber of installed cannons (which will most likely not substance due to the fact that PGZ wants to install the Polish ZSSW-30 tower on CBWP), the constructions disagree in mass (the hardest is German Lynx), the degree of ballistic protection (the highest boasts Korean AS-21) and the driving scope (the next is Turkish Tulpar).
However, experts point out that the decisive origin for the choice may not be individual method parameters, as abroad companies like 1 husband declare a very wide scope of modifications taking into account the requirements of the customer, but the scope and cost of the licence for production of the car in Poland.
Otokar Tulpar
Length: 7,23 m
Height: 2,68 m
Width: 3,44 m
Weight: 32–42 t
Weapons: 30-mm cannon, 7.62 mm firearm and Umtas anti-tank rocket launcher
Drive: Scania DSI engine with a capacity of 16 l and a power of 810 hp
Maximum velocity – 70 km/h
Range – 700 km
Suspension — towing rods
Armor: composite providing 5 level of protection according to the phase 4569, i.e. 25 mm bullet shield
Crew: 3 persons
Desert: 8–9 soldiers
Field capacity: can beat a vertical step with a tallness of 800 mm and a ditch with a maximum width of 2.6 m.
Lynx KF41
Length: 7.22 to 7.73 m
Height: 3.3 m
Width: 3,6 m
Weight: 35-50 t
Armourment: Lance Tower can be armed with a 30 or 35 mm caliber cannon, 7.62 mm firearm and a guided rocket anti-tank launcher
Drive: Liebherr engine with a capacity of 18 litres and a power of 1140 hp
Maximum speed: 70 km/h
Range: 500 km
Suspension: hydropneumatic
Armourment: steel in the basic version provides level 3 protection according to phase 4569 and can be raised to level 4 according to STAG 4569
Crew: 3 persons
Desert: 8 soldiers
Field capabilities: can overcome a ditch of 2.5 m wide, climb a vertical obstacle of 1 m and has a beard depth of 1.5 m without preparation.
AS21 Redback
Length: from 7,7 m
Height: 3.3 m
Width: 3,64 m
Weight: 35–47 t
Weapons: EOS Defence T2000 turret armed with Bushmaster Mkk.44S 30 mm cannon, 12.7 mm rifle, 7.62 mm rifle, and double-gun ppk Spike
Drive: MTU MT881 Ka-500 of 1000 hp
Maximum speed: 70 km/h
Range: 560 km
Suspension: hydropneumatic
Armor: STANG Level 6 providing protection against 30 mm caliber missiles
Crew: 3 persons
Desert: 8 soldiers
Field capacity: can overcome a vertical step with a tallness of 1000 mm and a ditch with a maximum width of 3 m.
