Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1446249
livery timeline issue, as the Hungarian military needs to wait 5 years for the first Leopard 2HUN MBTs to be delivered - from the moment when the order was placed, back in 2018. Five years is a lot, as only 44 ex- amples were ordered. The Polish Ministry of Defence wants to procure 250 MBTs and expects the first vehicles to be commissioned next year. One should also remember that Hungary would pay at least EUR 1.5 bn. for 44 Leopard 2HUN MBTs, 24 PzH 2000 sphs, and a logistics sup- port package. Even the latest Leopard 2A7V MBT suffers from weaknesses identical to its legacy variants: lack of a separate ammunition storage area in the hull, isolated from the crew compartment - posing a lethal threat to the crew in the event of armor penetration. Secondly, front-right turret armor is weaker, due to the disadvantageous positioning of the main sight and optical instrumentation. Economic diesel engine and easy maintenance can be listed among the advantages of the Leopard 2 platform. Another alternative solution is the Hyundai Rotem K2PL design - a pro- posal for the development of a brand new turret and hull, that would accommodate components of the series-manufactured K2 MBT. Tech- nically, this is a viable solution, with most of the K2 deficiencies being eliminated - this refers to weak armor on the sides of the turret. Front turret and hull armor, and hull sides would also be reinforced. What is more, the crew compartment arrangement design has been enhanced, with the driver's seat being placed along the central axis of the vehi- cle, with better visibility with the hatch closed, and better ergonomics when the turret is facing forward. It is easier to do this under the gun, and the gun can also be lifted. Problems emerging in the case of Leop- ard 2 are avoided, where massive extra armor on the turret makes it challenging for the driver to use the hatch of his own, and often forces the drivers to use the turret entrance points. A completely separate ammunition compartment is planned for K2PL and the export K2M variant. If the said tanks are born and commis- sioned in higher quantities, it would offer protection levels similar to M1A2SEPv3. However, thanks to a three-man crew and autoloader, the MBT in question could be, potentially, lighter. The basic problem stems from the delivery timeline - the Koreans sug- gest that Poland would need to wait until 2028-2030 for the first de- liveries. Another factor that is viewed as a detrimental issue for K2PL is the fact that this tank has not yet been born - even in the form of a simplified, semi-functional technology demonstrator. Theoretically, the K2PL is still a viable contender in the Wilk next-gen- eration MBT procurement program. However, the acquisition of the M1A2SEPv3 MBTs would translate into a greater chance the latter de- sign may have. One cannot rule out a scenario, however, in which the Polish Ministry of Defence yet again surprises everybody. Another possibility is to develop a brand-new tank design domestically. This option is the best one for Poland, but it also entails the greatest risk of failure. The Borsuk IFV program however proves that Poland re- mains in possession of a capacity to develop modern fighting vehicles. One shall remember though that developing a new MBT would take M865, or M865A1 TPCSDS (Target Practice Cone Stabilized Discarding Sab- ot), and M831, or M831A1 TP (Target Practice), M1002 TPMP (Target Prac- tice Multi-Purpose) rounds could also be a part of the offer. The M256A1 gun may also fire domestically manufactured or German 120x570 mm rounds. This only requires ballistic data to be uploaded to the tank's FCS. The M256A1 breech features a datalink for the programmable rounds - tailored to work both with the US-made, as well as European munitions, such as the German DM11. The Polish Ministry of Defence also wants to maintain the MBTs domes- tically which means that Poland has done its homework referring to the Leopard 2 MBTs procurement - these were acquired without any securing of domestic support means. Here, a myth should be busted. The Americans do not consider it sensible for the users to send the M1 MBTs to CONUS, to carry out standard maintenance or overhauls. This is simply unaffordable. The Americans are eager to establish relevant support facilities locally, with the involvement of General Dynamic Land Systems, or, if relevant industrial capacity is available within the domestic industry, cooperation between the local facilities and GDLS is also possible. The MBTs are sent back to CONUS only if repairs or upgrades cannot be locally implemented. Finally, we should also discuss the price. The government mentioned the amount of PLN 23.3 bn - around USD 5.9 bn. This seems pricey, but one should remember that the MBTs are being procured with a broad mainte- nance and logistics package. Furthermore, the amount above is a prelimi- nary sum disclosed by the Polish government. This matter may change after DSCA (Defence Security Cooperation Agency) issues its quote. One should however note that DSCA would disclose the maximum price tag. Further ne- gotiation may lead to price reduction, as it happened in the case of the F-35A MRCA or Patriot MRAD system. One should also remember that contracts concerning a similar quantity of MBTs, but with worse configuration and with less impressive support pack- ages (than the one intended for Poland) had prices no higher than around USD 3 bn - which is around half of what the Polish government-specified. To assess the cost, one should patiently wait for the DSCA release. ALTERNATIVES Naturally, a question on potential choices needs to be asked. The first alter- native option that seems obvious is the procurement of further Leopard 2 MBTs that we already use, and the support infrastructure is being painstak- ingly established for that platform. This selection entails several problems. The pool of cheap, second-hand Leopard 2 MBTs has been depleted. The only way to go is to procure brand-new vehicles, but this would entail further prob- lems. Germany has just begun the process of recovering its manufacturing capacity. Turrets and hulls are currently manufactured at the ELBO facility in Thessaloníki, Greece. Then these shells are transported to Germany where the final assembly takes place. The Germans use both brand-new, as well as surplus components that are no longer manufactured (at least until the subcontractors recover their manufacturing capacity). This is how the Leopard 2QAT vehicles were developed for Qatar. A similar scenario may also be expected in the case of the Leopard 2HUN MBT, des- tined for Hungary. Hungary is also a good example, when it comes to the de- www.fragoutmag.com