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Armed Forces

Baobab Minelayer to Get Tracks: Consultations Begin

Transporter Minowania Narzutowego Kroton z plutonu minowania 1. Warszawskiej Brygady Pancernej na ćwiczeniach Lampart-20.
Kroton Armored Minelayer from the mine-laying platoon of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade during Lampart-20 exercises.
Photo. 1st “Warszawska” Armoured Brigade. / X

The recently introduced Baobab-K Scattered Minelaying Vehicle will soon have a tracked counterpart. The Armament Agency has announced the launch of consultations on the matter.

On 20th January, the Armament Agency revealed plans to conduct preliminary market consultations regarding the acquisition of a tracked, armored scattered minelaying vehicle (TMN) for the Polish Armed Forces. Mines will be deployed via six launchers mounted on the chassis, each containing 20 mine cassettes. Every cassette will hold five MN-123 anti-tank mines, produced at the Belma plant in Bydgoszcz. The total mine capacity will reach 600 units, matching the capacity of the Baobab-K system, which is based on the Jelcz P882.53 truck chassis.

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The TMN will feature an integrated, quickly replaceable powerpack and a drivetrain allowing for operating both on public roads and in off-road conditions. Additionally, it will include a military communication system and an automated command station with software that integrates with a battlefield management system (BMS) selected by the Ordering Party. For self-defence, the vehicle will be equipped with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun and an array of warning, protection, and self-defense systems. Automated systems to simplify maintenance and operation are also part of the requirements.

Currently, the Land Forces operate six Kroton armored remote minelaying vehicles based on the SPG-2A (Opal-II) platform, a Polish-developed variant of the Soviet MT-LB armored carrier with an added seventh pair of road wheels. The SPG-2A, produced at Huta Stalowa Wola, no longer meets the demands of modern warfare. For this reason, increasing the number of remote minelaying vehicles on a modern tracked chassis within the Polish Armed Forces is entirely justified.

Will the Borsuk Become the Baobab-G?

In mid-June 2023, then-Defence Minister Mariusz Błaszczak signed a contract for the delivery of Baobab-K vehicles. The 24 vehicles, based on the Jelcz 8x8 truck chassis with armored cabins for a two-person crew, will support engineering units in mine deployment tasks. The war in Ukraine has highlighted the utility of such equipment, making additional Baobab-K orders for the Polish Armed Forces seem like a mere formality.

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The Universal Modular Tracked Platform (UMPG), which also serves as the base for the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle (IFV), is expected to underpin a variety of specialized variants. One such version is the Jodła-GTRI tracked engineering reconnaissance vehicle, which will eventually replace the outdated PTS-M amphibians. This platform could also serve as the technical foundation for the Jodła-TMN tracked minelaying vehicle. Assigning Huta Stalowa Wola the task of developing this vehicle based on the UMPG seems logical, as the facility is already the integrator for the Baobab-K system. It has all the necessary „building blocks” to create a vehicle that could tentatively be named the Baobab-G.

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However, prolonged negotiations between the Ministry of Defence, the Armament Agency, and the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) regarding the first order for the Borsuk IFV suggest that relations between the military and the state-owned defence industry are strained, despite official declarations of cooperation. Borsuk would be a suitable base platform for TMN. While the IFV offers a high level of initial mine protection, tracked vehicles generally have less resistance to underbelly explosions compared to wheeled vehicles like the Baobab-K.

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The Armament Agency is accepting submissions for preliminary consultations until 14th February, with the consultations themselves set to run until 31st May. If the objectives are not achieved, the consultations may be extended. Although the process seems straightforward, reports of disputes within Poland’s defence-industrial complex have cast doubt on current and future procurement procedures for the Polish Armed Forces.

Transporter Minowania Narzutowego Kroton z plutonu minowania 1. Warszawskiej Brygady Pancernej na ćwiczeniach Lampart-20.
Armored Minelayer Vehicle Kroton from the mine-laying platoon of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade during Lampart-20 exercise.
Photo. 1st “Warszawska” Armoured Brigade. / X
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