During the meeting of the Parliamentary National Defence Commission, Mroczek stated that integration of the Rosomak vehicle with an unmanned turret and Spike anti tank missiles is to be completed within the upcoming months. The vehicles equipped with the new turret systems, along with anti tank guided missiles, are to be delivered to the 15th Mechanized Brigade, starting from 2017.

When it comes to the wheeled APC, the programme of integrating the anti tank guided weapons and the unmanned turret is on the go, however it has not yet been completed. I deeply hope though that this is a matter of the upcoming months.

Deliveries of the Rosomak APC’s, which are to be received by the Giżycko-stationed brigade will be a part of enhancement of the wheeled APC programme. Initially it was planned that the unit will receive new equipment when the Borsuk IFV’s were delivered, however, the modernization procedures have been accelerated in the light of the Ukrainian crisis.

The unmanned turret module which is to be utilized by the Rosomak vehicles, which is to be armed with the Spike missiles, among other armament, is being developed by a consortium consisting of the HSW (Stalowa Wola Ironworks) and WB Electronics companies, on the basis of a memorandum signed with the Armament Inspectorate back in 2013. Demonstrator of the new turret was presented during the Kielce Defence Fair, back in 2014 – it was then equipped with a 30 mm Bushmaster II cannon, which was the same as in case of the Rosomak’s manned turret. The Polish Army is also willing to integrate the Spike-LR missile with the older Rosomaks, armed with the existing Hitfist-30 modules.

At the beginning of January this year, MoD’s spokesperson, Col. Jacek Sońta, provided Defence24.pl with the following information regarding the modernization programme, that would cover the issue of Rosomaks equipped with the manned turrets: “The deadline related to deliveries of the APC’s armed with the Spike ATGW’s is dependent mainly on positive results of the tests that would check the amphibious capabilities of the vehicles”. Sońta additionally stressed the fact that the Ministry has been carrying out analyses within the scope of the way and scope of modernization of the existing vehicles, also within the context of equipping the older examples with the Spike missiles.

Integration of the Rosomaks with the anti tank missiles, both in case of the new vehicles (with unmanned turrets), as well as in case of the existing vehicles that utilize the Hitfist-30 turrets is, in my opinion, desirable, from the point of view of providing a proper level of anti-tank protection for the Polish motorized units. Hence the Ministry of Defence shall make decisive steps towards introduction of the APC that would be capable of using the Spike missiles as quick as possible – and this also would apply to the units that are already using the Rosomak  vehicles.