On 20th September 2016, President of the Management Board at the Łucznik Radom facility, Adam Suliga, along with Col. Piotr Imanski, First Deputy Head of the Armament Inspectorate, have concluded an agreement pertaining to procurement of another batch of the wz. 96 Beryl and wz. 96 Mini Beryl firearms. The total value of the contract is estimated to be contained in a gross amount of PLN 19.025 million. The procurement procedure is expected to be finalized by the end of 2016.

We are happy that the Armament Inspectorate, once again trusted the Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa. The equipment for the individual troops, including the firearms, is one of the most important elements which ensure that the soldiers are safe within the battlefield. Firearms are also a decisive factor, when it comes to the effectiveness of the operations.

The order is being finalized as a single-source procurement procedure, since the Radom facility is the only manufacturer of this type of weapon which has been widely used by the Polish Army since 1998, as the basic firearm, in a variety of versions, utilizing the 5.56 mm NATO round. In the light of the above conditions, regulations have been put in place, making it possible to finalize the order outside the scope of regulations of the Public Procurement Law. 

It is worth to note the fact that the contract is significant, and that it is going to be finalized in a short period of time, however, it is not the largest contract that has been recently concluded by and between the Polish Ministry of Defence and the Łucznik Radom Arms Factory. Back in May this year, information was released, stating that an agreement was signed between the Armament Inspectorate and the Radom “Łucznik” facility, covering the procurement of 17,621 examples of the wz. 96 BERYL 5.56 mm assault rifles and 8400 examples of wz. 96 MINI-BERYL carbines for the Polish soldiers. The total value of the said deal exceeds the amount of PLN 156 million. Within the context of the current initiative, the aim of which is to create a Territorial Defence component involving 35 thousand troops, we may expect that more large contracts may be signed, in order to meet the newly emerging needs.

Beryls are being introduced into the inventory of the Polish Army, due to the necessity of securing the weaponry needs of its elements, and the process is a part of replacement of the non-prospective AK/AKMS Kalashnikov family 7.62×39 mm rifles. The 7.62×39 mm ammunition is not compliant with the NATO standards. Meanwhile, Mini-Beryl systems, with the short, 235 mm barrel (standard Beryl has a barrel which has a length of 457 mm) may be used by the support units, providing significantly more fire-power for the soldiers in comparison with e.g. the machine pistols.

READ MORE: Thousands of Beryl Rifles For The Polish Army To Be Procured This Year

Both weapons feature folded stock and STANAG 2324 (Picatinny) rails. The ammunition is fed from 30-round magazines, and selective fire switch provides the user with an option of firing single shots, 3-round bursts, and full auto mode is also available, which offers a rate of fire of 700 rounds per minute.