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via BAE Press Release.
WARSAW, Poland — Leading defence companies Polish Defence Holding (formerly the Bumar Group) and BAE Systems have joined forces to offer new tracked armoured vehicles for a top-priority Polish military programme. Under the exclusive teaming agreement to be signed on 29 May, the two companies will work together to offer a competitive solution for the Polish military’s requirements for a family of 25-ton-plus armoured tracked fighting vehicles based on a “Universal Tracked Platform.”Geez!
“Polish Defence Holding’s experience as an in-country prime contractor will be instrumental in developing solutions for this new family of armoured fighting vehicles that will meet the military’s requirements and facilitate production in Poland,” said Erwin Bieber, president of BAE Systems’ Land & Armaments sector.
State-owned Polish national defence champion Polish Defence Holding consists of 40 companies, including 20 manufacturing defence sector companies specialising in munitions and rockets, radars, command and control systems, armour and vehicles.
“Teaming with BAE Systems Hägglunds shows that Bumar is an attractive business partner for the world industry leaders. It also means that the Universal Tracked Platform will benefit from their armoured tracked vehicle technology represented by millions of engineering design hours and zlotys already committed to development over the past 20 years,” said Krzysztof Krystowski, Bumar chief executive officer.
“This will ensure that our joint solution will meet the demanding technical and time challenges of this major programme and will see our team delivering critical operational capability to the Polish Land Forces”.
The multi-billion zloty programme is scheduled for completion by 2022, with the first production vehicles anticipated for delivery to the Polish Army in 2018.
BAE Systems Hägglunds is the Swedish tracked vehicles unit of BAE Systems Land & Armaments. Its key products are the CV90, the BsS10 all-terrain vehicle, and hybrid drive technology.
Poland does not mess around. Anticipated delivery for 2018???!!!! If only Marine Corps armored programs set as aggressive development and delivery schedules!
It also must be noted that the armor market in Europe is happening in the North and South...in particular Italy and Turkey in the South and throughout the North (too numerous to mention!).
Its really ironic that advancements in armor technology will be supported by what some would call smaller nations and I say are emerging powers.
I watch BAE closely...I'll add Polish Defense Holdings to that list. This will be interesting.
NOTE: With such a tight delivery schedule you can bet that what we're going to be seeing are updated examples of existing vehicles. The BAE Armadillo seems like a natural fit for this partnership. Mine protected, modular and with an insane payload of 6 or more tons (if I recall correctly), its really a no brainer.
Sol, there will be no aggressive development and delivery schedules are pure fanatsy. We will mess around Sol, it's a tradition, lots of words and promises no action.
ReplyDeletei sure hope you're wrong, but thinking about how the Marine Corps prides itself on explosive action, ridiculing a leader that can't make a decision (talk to the boys getting thrashed at OCS) and preaching on a daily basis that doing nothing is actually doing something...i wouldn't be surprised if you're right.
Deletebut again. i hope you're wrong. i am looking forward to the day that Poland is once again a MAJOR power on the European continent. it can happen and if defense trends continue it will.
Oh I hope that I'm wrong Sol, all Gods of this world be my witnesses I realy hope that I'm wrong in this case. But I see you understand perfectly what I'm afraid. In this dark times High Command is more of politicians in uniforms not soldiers.
DeleteMaybe one day we will again stand as Shield of Europe, we fight for her for long, long time.