Frag Out! Magazine

The publication intends to present possible options related to a difficult decision of the Polish Armed Forces on the concluding of the ROSOMAK APC implementation, which constitutes a foundation of motorized infantry battalions. The most commonly considered way to increase combat strength of battalions equipped with Roso- mak APC, mainly in the area of capability to defeat hard targets, is an integration of anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) launchers with APCs' turrets and their fire control systems. However, it requires construction of new turret systems, most likely remotely controlled, which would be installed on the newest batch of hulls. Older ones would have their existing turrets ad- justed to new demands, and ATGM launchers in- tegrated with them. This solution, however, has some difficulties, among them an increase in gross weight of the vehicle, where light-weight and floating is crucial mobility advantage of the Rosomak APC. Moreover, a modernization is quite time-consuming process, thus, for next few years, the so-called "older APCs" would have very limited abilities in killing armored ve- hicles. Taking these factors into account, other options should be considered as a way to in- crease motorized infantry battalions firepow- er, in order to be able both to destroy hard targets, and personnel in the open, as well as hidden behind some kind of protection. One such option, among other possibilities, is versatility of infantry weapons enabling dis- mounted infantry to defeat various types of targets, because effectiveness of motorized battalion in combat does not depend only on its combat vehicles, where important role is played by combat support and infan- try units. The towed mortars from battal- ion's support company would be replaced by automatic self-propelled mortars RAK, which have twice bigger range than those currently in use. Their introduction would allow battalion commander to faster and more efficiently react than using towed mortars. New organization structure and more anti-tank weapons. An increase in capability to defeat armored targets might be achieved by introduction of two Spike ATGM launchers per support squad of motorized infantry platoons. These launchers could be trans- ported inside of base version of Rosomak APC (so-called "Spike-buses"), which currently do not have any reasonable use, and should be armed with automatic grenade launchers mounted in tur- ret or ring-mount. This way, the mobility problem vehicles

• Cover