The Polish Armed Forces will receive 13 000 sabot rounds for  Leopard 2A4 and 2A5 tanks within the period between 2015 and 2017. Estimated value of the contract is  PLN 240 million. The contract has been signed by the I deputy head of the Armament Inspectorate, Col. Adam Duda, and Board Director of the Mesko SA company, Waldemar Skowron, in presence of Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and Minister of Defence Tomasz Siemoniak in Radom. - As colonel Sońta writes.

APFSDS-T rounds have been developed by the national industry together with the Military Institute of Armament Technology. These projectiles are designed to provide combat capabilities for the Polish Leopard 2A4 and 2A5 tanks. The works have been financed from own resources, with a state-budget support. The order will be realized by Mesko SA facility in Pionki, which is a member of the  Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA company [Polish Armament Group].

Up until recently, old DM-33 German sabot rounds have been the basic equipment of the Polish Army. This ammunition is not capable of penetrating heavy reactive armour used in the tanks of the Armed Forces of Russia or even Belarus. Earlier a contract has been signed to purchase High Explosive rounds for the Leopard tanks.

What is more, Mesko SA Pionki gunpowder factory (Pionki branch is responsible for producing the ammo for the Leopard tanks) is to be thoroughly modernised and expanded. The worrks will be finished in 2017. According to the information obtained from the Polish Armament Group, cost of these works is to be as much as PLN 44 million, and proper assets are to be provided by the Ministry of Treasury. Pionki facility will be equipped with production lines for tank ammo shells and multi-based gunpowder, while the existing plant will be modified.

Thanks to this investment, after 2017 the Polish manufacturers and the Polish factories will be able to procure new, innovative gunpowders, within almost 100%, from the Polish sources. Now most of the gunpowder needs are fulfilled with the use of imported resources. We will reverse this proportion.

When it comes to MoD activities aiming at procuring new anti-tank rounds for Leopard 2 tanks, Defence24.com had provided information on that issue in the past.