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WARSAW — Poland’s Ministry of Defense has purchased an additional 200 Rosomak eight-wheel-drive armored modular vehicles (AMVs), reported local newspaper Rzeczpospolita.
The new vehicles are expected to increase the mobility and firepower capacity of the land forces, said retired Gen. Waldemar Skrzypczak, Poland’s deputy defense minister responsible for the military’s modernization.
The Polish Army used the Rosomak on deployments to Afghanistan and Chad, Skrzypczak told the newspaper.
Since 2004, the AMV has been produced by state-run manufacturer Wojskowe Zaklady Mechaniczne Siemianowice under a license from Finland’s Patria. WZMS is part of Wojskowe Przedsiebiorstwa Remontowo-Produkcyjne, Poland’s second largest defense group.
The Army did not disclose the amount of the deal, but local analysts estimate it will total about 2 billion zloty ($630 million). The vehicles are scheduled to be delivered by 2018.
The Rosomak is armed with Italy’s Oto Melara Hitfist-30P turret, which carries the Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm chain gun manufactured by Alliant Techsystems. The AMV is also fitted with the locally manufactured UKM-200C 7.62 mm machine gun.
“Over the last eight years, the armored modular vehicle has been significantly modernized,” according to a document released by the ministry’s Armament Inspectorate. Since the vehicle’s deployment to Afghanistan, the Army has requested upgrades to strengthen Rosomak’s troop protection capacity, the document said.
With the latest deal, Poland’s land forces will have a total of about 835 such vehicles.
