Armed Forces
Poland Procures Dozens of Bridges for Abrams Tanks
Photo. OBRUM
Polish Armed Forces would receive 43 Daglezja-S bridges, as an agreement approved by the head of the Polish MoD, Mariusz Błaszczak, stipulates. Another contract envisages that six Zawilec command vehicles would be procured.
According to the agreement signed by and between the Armament Agency, and PGZ S.A.-Obrum Sp. z o.o. consortium, the Polish Armed Forces would receive 43 MS-20 Daglezja-S support bridges between 2025 and 2028, and the deal would also include a training and logistics support package. The contract value is as high as PLN 767 million.
MS-20 Daglezja-S set includes the 6x6 Jelcz C662D.43 truck, 6x6 bridge trailer, bridge deployment system, and the PM-20 bridge. It makes it possible to cross water/terrain obstacles that are up to 20 meters wide for any MLC70/110 (and MLC80/120) vehicles.
The MS-20 bridge weighs 47.9 tonnes, and the vehicle can attain a speed of up to 80 kph on a hardened surface. It is manned by a crew of 2 - operator and driver.
The PM-20 bridge is carried on a special-purpose trailer. The width of the bridge is adjustable, and it is 3 meters wide when on the trailer, and 4 meters wide when set up, over the obstacle. The bridge, when folded, is 12.5 meters long, and when deployed, and with ramps extended, it is 25.5 meters long. Deployment and folding take less than 30 minutes.
Another agreement approved by the Head of the Polish Ministry of Defence in Nowa Dęba has been signed by and between the Armament Agency and Rosomak S.A., and it envisages delivery of 6 Zawilec command vehicles, based on the Rosomak APC.
The contract value is as high as PLN 100 million (gross). The vehicles are expected to be delivered in 2025.
This is the first contract ever signed, regarding the Zawilec platform. These command vehicles are to work at the tactical level, to support the command and staff processes at the level of Divisions and Brigades in the Polish Armed Forces.
The national command vehicle would be fitted with radios ensuring fully encrypted digital communications, along with ICT stations allowing for processing of confidential data. The ICT system would make it possible to work on confidential information within two, separate, independent information domains.
In July this year, the Armed Forces designated the WB Group as the supplier of the C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, & Intelligence) ICT suite for the Zawilec platform.
The very same variant of the Rosomak vehicle, fitted with the WB Group«s ICT suite, has been used to create the Kroton command vehicle. These vehicles were delivered to the Multinational Division North-East. During the upcoming years, command vehicles of identical configuration were also being received by other units of the Polish Armed Forces.