Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1281650
a sensible level of IED/mine protection. The whole set of require- ments listed above made the design of the vehicle convoluted, also making the Patria design the most serious contender. Ulti- mately the AMV won the tender, beating even the Austrian plat- form that enjoyed quite strong support, politically. At the same time, a major adjustment has been made concerning the number of vehicles expected to be acquired. The planned procurement was extended up to 690 vehicles in 8x8 and 6x6 variants, with at least 313 fitted with the turret featuring a 30 mm gun, and 345 „base" vehicles that would, afterwards, be modified for special purposes. Unfortunately, at the time at least, no arrangements were being made with regards to logistics, maintenance, and equipment for the special purpose variants. These matters were to be addressed in the indefinite future. As a result, the matter has been postponed. The ramifications of this step have been dire. As the quantitative shape of the potential procurement be- came significantly broadened, it turned out that the tender is the most significant armored vehicle acquisition in Europe. This made the competition fierce and quite unfair. The selection of the Finnish platform was being questioned from the very beginning, with the use of all means available. Nonetheless, the Polish Ministry of De- fense stood strong, and the contract was signed by and between the MoD and WZM in April 2003. The turret selection has also been changed - Hitfist-30 was chosen. Its lighter version was to be inte- grated on the wheeled IFV. Be- tween 2003 and 2004 the Fin- nish design was being adopted to meet the Polish require- ments. The vehicles were also tested during that period. The new vehicles were 4 tonnes lighter, they were also narrower. Relevant changes have also been made concerning the turret design. The 2003 agreement also saw the Polish military define the number of special-purpose vehicles to be procured: reconnaissance version (32), CRBN reconnaissance platform (17), engineering support ve- hicles (22), ARVs [technical support] (34), artillery-support plat- forms (23), MEDEVAC variant (41), command version (78) and small-turret variant, with remote control turrets (in fact - IFVs - 125). 96 out of 313 vehicles fitted with the Hitfist-30P were to be in- tegrated with the Spike ATGM. Again, it needs to be stressed that both the ATGM integration, as well as the development of the spe- cial purpose variants both were a subject of separate procurement procedures, with separate financing and separately defined user requirements. These 10 (at least) processes were to be taking pla- ce in parallel to wheeled IFV production. The manufacturer and li- censor (Patria) could not have influenced the above in any way. The program was also extended quantitatively, from a single...to three brigades. 8 motorized battalions in total were expected to be equip- ped with the new platform. However crazy it may seem, the change above should be viewed as a positive one. Thanks to that change the license and domestic manufacturing have simply become afforda- ble. During the test program, the military also dropped the require- ment for the vehicle to be transportable by the C-130. The first ve- hicles were handed of for service in January 2005. VEHICLES