Defence & Space

Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) at the IDEX 2025 trade fair

The companies within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) will participate in the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025, where…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Saab launches Coast Control Radar

Saab will reveal the new Coast Control Radar at the upcoming International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in the United…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Trump proves that Europe must take care of itself

Did President Donald Trump give Vladimir Putin a Valentine’s Day gift in the form of a part of Ukraine? It may look…

2025-02-14 | Sławek Zagórski | 5 minutes

The first FA-50PL will be ready in 2025

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) presented the current progress on the Polish version of the FA-50 aircraft at their facility in…

2024-12-30 | Jakub Link-Lenczowski | 8 minutes

A Russian drone damaged the covering of the Ark sarcophagus at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

During the night of February 13 to 14, a Russian loitering munition carrying a fragmentation-explosive warhead struck the covering of the Ark sarcophagus…

2025-02-14 | Rafał Muczyński | 5 minutes

Over 20 participants interested in consultations for the modernization of the Polish corvette Ślązak

In response to questions from the MILMAG Portal editorial team, the Social Communication Department of the Armament Agency provided information about…

2025-02-13 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Elbit Systems to provide JNDFC Center for a European Country

Elbit Systems awarded contracts totaling approximately $100 million to provide Joint National Digital Fires Command Center for a European country.

2025-02-10 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Rheinmetall and Hologate sign strategic cooperation agreement for XR and VR simulation solutions

Rheinmetall and Hologate announce the start of a strategic cooperation. The aim is to develop innovative simulation solutions. Both companies combine expertise…

2024-12-03 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) at the IDEX 2025 trade fair

The companies within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) will participate in the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025, where…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Hanwha to Showcase Next-Generation Artillery and Air-Defense Solutions at IDEX 2025

Hanwha will present a range of cutting-edge defense capabilities at IDEX 2025, under the theme of ‘Driving Innovation with Partners.

2025-02-13 | Redakcja | 5 minutes

Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) at the IDEX 2025 trade fair

The companies within the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) will participate in the International Defence Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) 2025, where…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Saab launches Coast Control Radar

Saab will reveal the new Coast Control Radar at the upcoming International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in the United…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

Half a million landings and 125,000 flight hours of Polish Medical Air Rescue’s helicopters

The fleet of Airbus H135 rescue helicopters, belonging to Polish Medical Air Rescue, has reached half a million landings and surpassed a total…

2025-02-04 | Rafał Muczyński | 3 minutes

The Police ordered bulletproof vests and a mobile shooting range

The National Police Headquarters signed a contract with Lubawa Group for the delivery of a batch of integrated bulletproof vests, while the…

2025-01-08 | Rafał Muczyński | 4 minutes

Saab launches Coast Control Radar

Saab will reveal the new Coast Control Radar at the upcoming International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in the United…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

A Russian drone damaged the covering of the Ark sarcophagus at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

During the night of February 13 to 14, a Russian loitering munition carrying a fragmentation-explosive warhead struck the covering of the Ark sarcophagus…

2025-02-14 | Rafał Muczyński | 5 minutes

A Russian drone damaged the covering of the Ark sarcophagus at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant

During the night of February 13 to 14, a Russian loitering munition carrying a fragmentation-explosive warhead struck the covering of the Ark sarcophagus…

2025-02-14 | Rafał Muczyński | 5 minutes

Trump proves that Europe must take care of itself

Did President Donald Trump give Vladimir Putin a Valentine’s Day gift in the form of a part of Ukraine? It may look…

2025-02-14 | Sławek Zagórski | 5 minutes

Bonus Food Project: Meals from Kielce-Based Company LYOFOOD Are Heading to Space

As part of the first Polish mission to the International Space Station, the Kielce-based company LYOFOOD, in collaboration with the European…

2025-02-10 | Redakcja | 7 minutes

Agreement Between Radmor and SpaceForest

The companies Radmor (part of the WB Group) and SpaceForest from Gdynia have signed a cooperation agreement, establishing a partnership between the…

2025-01-24 | Redakcja | 2 minutes
Shooting

Valentine’s Vis 100 M1 Bazooka Pink

Fabryka Broni Łucznik-Radom, which is part of Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), has prepared a special offer for women in celebration of…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Helikon-Tex at Enforce Tac 2025 Trade Fair

From February 24 to 26, 2025, the Polish company Helikon-Tex will showcase its product range and new releases at the Enforce…

2025-02-12 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

Black Week at Clawgear

The Black Week promotion at Clawgear runs until December 2, 2024. The more you add to your cart, the bigger the…

2024-11-28 | Michał Ihnatów | 1 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Helikon-Tex at Enforce Tac 2025 Trade Fair

From February 24 to 26, 2025, the Polish company Helikon-Tex will showcase its product range and new releases at the Enforce…

2025-02-12 | Michał Ihnatów | 3 minutes

TEST: Direct Action Vanguard Uniform

The Vanguard is a uniform set from the Polish brand Direct Action, designed in collaboration with special forces soldiers. There are…

2025-01-19 | Michał Gaweł | 18 minutes

Enforce Tac 2025 starts on February 24th

Enforce Tac is an international trade fair aimed at law enforcement officers, experts from government agencies, and representatives of the…

2025-01-30 | Michał Ihnatów | 4 minutes

POLSECURE: Holsters HPE Poland offer for uniformed services

At the 3rd International Police and Public Security Fair POLSECURE 2024 in Kielce, Holsters HPE Poland presented its offer for…

2024-05-01 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Valentine’s Vis 100 M1 Bazooka Pink

Fabryka Broni Łucznik-Radom, which is part of Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), has prepared a special offer for women in celebration of…

2025-02-14 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

The tests of MSBS Grot S16

The MSBS Grot S16 FB-M1 is a semi-automatic variant of the standard assault rifle used by the Polish Armed Forces and law…

2024-11-18 | Redakcja | 2 minutes

Setting Up a Shooting Belt: An Example with Clawgear

To assist with shooting training and beyond, various belts and gear configurations have been developed and customized to suit individual needs. It’s…

2024-11-28 | Łukasz Kołodziejski | 14 minutes

Weapon light: a practical tool for everyday service. How to choose?

In the world of armed forces, where every second can determine the outcome of an operation, precision and effectiveness are…

2024-08-29 | Redakcja | 7 minutes

Firearms In Poland 2023: Number of permits continues to grow

The National Police Headquarters has released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and firearms themselves in the hands of…

2024-02-17 | Michał Ihnatów | 5 minutes

Firearms ownership in Poland, 2022: growth in the year of war

National Police Headquarters released statistics regarding the number of firearm permits and individual firearms owned by Polish citizens. It can be…

2023-03-14 | Redakcja | 3 minutes

5 Best Value ATN Rifle Scopes Under €1500

ATN is a leading manufacturer of daytime optics, smart night vision, and thermal vision technology. The innovative features and ergonomic designs…

2022-11-11 | Redakcja | 8 minutes

MILMAG Visits Grand Power

Grand Power is a Slovak manufacturer of the acknowledged good quality firearms. Take part in our guided tour with English subtitles.

2022-05-23 | Redakcja | 1 minutes

TEST: Direct Action Vanguard Uniform

The Vanguard is a uniform set from the Polish brand Direct Action, designed in collaboration with special forces soldiers. There are…

2025-01-19 | Michał Gaweł | 18 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

EOTECH Holographic Sight – History, Technology, Practice

The holographic sight is a device known for nearly 30 years and used by professionals around the world. A favorite sight of many…

2024-09-02 | Michał Gaweł | 12 minutes

Has the Czech IFV programme just reached a dead-end?

In the face of an unprecedented economic crisis, which shortly might follow the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Czech Ministry of Defense (MoD) has found itself in a difficult situation, when it has to reevaluate its investment plans, putting a hold to or definitely cancelling a number of procurement and modernization programmes. One of the projects, which might be affected by the expected spending cuts is the long awaited acquisition of 210 tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs).

It was in mid-March, when the Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic his country might be forced to revise a number of investments, including a series of technical modernization programmes of the country’s armed forces.

‘The army can wait. We probably do not need infantry fighting vehicles immediately, but we need other things for this coronavirus war’, Babiš said during a press conference held in March.

As the country faces mass economic shakedown in result of the pandemic, the Czech government will have to make some tough choices and decide to cut down federal spending and investments. As usual, military modernization programmes might become one of the first to be affected by the new saving policy.

It seems quite probable, that the long awaited and highly anticipated procurement of 210 modern, tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) might become one of the first programmes to be slashed. New IFVs were to replace the currently operated, legacy BVP-2s, which due to their obsolescence and technical condition do not meet the requirements of the modern battlefield.

The procurement of new IFVs is described by the Czech government as one of the most important technical modernization programmes in the recent history of the Czech armed forces. It has an estimated value of CZK53 billion (€2 billion). The project is an important element of a more profound plan to enhance operational and combat capabilities of the Czech Army and Air Force, making it capable of acting as an important deterrence on NATO’s Eastern flank.

Three bids received

In mid-October 2019 the Czech MoD announced that three companies decided to submit initial bids in the tender for new IFVs. The list of bidders included: BAE Systems Haegglund AB with its CV90 Mk IV vehicle, GDELS – Santa Barbara Sistemas SA offering the ASCOD 2 platform and Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH with KF41 Lynx.

GDELS, a major European manufacturer of armoured vehicles, decided to offer its ASCOD 2 vehicle in the Czech IFV tender, as the platform has already been selected by the armed forces of Austria, Great Britain and Spain in their Ulan, Ajax and Pizarro programs.

According to GDELS, the ASCOD 2 offered for the Czech Republic was customized to meet the requirements of the Czech armed forces. It was achieved by modification of ASCOD’s design and enhancement of its operational capabilities.

The ASCOD 2 platform was presented during IDET 2019 exhibition in Brno. The vehicle on the stand was showcased with an unmanned UT30MK2 turret from Israeli Elbit Systems. According to the manufacturer, the same vehicle could be easily integrated with a manned MT30 system, if the Czech Army had such requirements.

The single manufacturer which decided not to make a bid in the ongoing tender was Projekt System & Management GmbH (PSM), a joint-venture between Rheinmetall Landsysteme and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. Initially, the company planned to offer its Puma IFV, which is already operated by the German land forces. Presumably, PSM decided to drop from the race due to the fact that the Puma vehicle did not meet a number of technical requirements set by the Czech MoD for the IFV programme.

According to the program’s original schedule, for the next couple of weeks or months the Czech MoD would engage in discussions with selected bidders in order to help them to improve their offers. Subsequently, both sides of the tender would enter negotiations about vehicle’s price and delivery timeline, which would lead to the final selection and contract signing. However, under current circumstances, this plan might not be able to succeed

The German Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH has offered the Czech Republic its KF41 Lynx platform in the ongoing IFV tender. The company agreed to move the production of new armoured vehicles to the Czech Republic under the Transfer-of-Technology agreement / Picture: Remigiusz Wilk, MM MILMAG

BAE Systems Haegglund AB has been actively promoting its family of CV90 armoured vehicles on the Czech market for many years. The picture presents one of the Dutch CV90s during NATO Days 2019 held in Ostrava / Picture: Michał Jarocki, MM MILMAG

GDELS offers its ASCOD 2 armoured vehicle, which has already been selected by the armed forces of Austria, Great Britain and Spain in their Ulan, Ajax and Pizarro programs. The vehicle on the picture, taken during IDET 2019 exhibition in Brno, is fitted with an unmanned UT30MK2 turret from Israeli Elbit Systems / Picture: Remigiusz Wilk, MM MILMAG

New IFVs are an absolute must

The number of new IFV’s, which the Czech MoD intends to procure, simply refers to the country’s long-term plan for development of the Czech armed forces (KVAČR 2025), as well as commitments to international alliances, such as NATO. Under the KVAČR project the Czech armed forces are obligated to deploy a heavy brigade unit capable of operating on the modern battlefield and confronting similarly equipped enemy forces in defensive operations.

Such a brigade would have to be composed of three mechanized battalions and a tank battalion, as well as combat support, combat security and training units. Each of mechanized battalions could be equipped with 56 armoured combat vehicles in 7 different variants, such as: IFV, reconnaissance, observation, mine clearance, armoured recovery, command and medical evacuation. The future ‘heavy brigade’, equipped with new IFVs, would evolve from the structure of the current 7th Mechanized Brigade.

The single manufacturer, which decided not to make a bid in the ongoing tender, was the Projekt System & Management GmbH. The manufacturer planned to offer its Puma IFV. Presumably, PSM decided to drop from the race due to the fact that the Puma vehicle did not meet a number of technical requirements set by the Czech MoD for the IFV programme / Picture: Remigiusz Wilk, MM MILMAG

To protect and to withstand

According to the Czech MoD, new IFVs should provide the highest possible level of protection for crews and dismounts, something the currently operated BVP-2s aren’t capable of. Therefore, new armoured combat vehicles are expected to feature a basic level of protection according to STANAG 4569, as well as a number of supplementary protection systems, such as additional modular ballistic panels (according to STANAG 4569), soft-kill and hard-kill self-defense systems, counter-IED protection system, disruption of radio-frequency signals activating IEDs and collective automated CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear) protection.

The Czech Army has a requirement that the future IFVs will be able to complement 11 soldiers, including a crew of 3 + 8 dismounts. Vehicles should be equipped with a manned turret with a 30mm main gun, a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun, as well as an anti-tank missile system with a 3rd generation (or higher) ATGM. Supplementary equipment should include smoke grenade launchers, providing 360° coverage.

Highly efficient observation systems for the gunner and commander, such as day/night cameras and a laser range finder, should provide detection and identification of enemy’s MBTs and other armoured combat vehicles at distances of 4 km by day and 3,5 km by night.

All IFV variants should feature the same high level of mobility, including minimum road speed of 65 km/h, minimum off-road speed of 40 km/h, minimum range of 500 km. They should also receive a number of supplementary equipment, such as intercom, VHF/UHF radio stations for voice and data communication as well as GPS, TACSAT and covert communication systems

Local defense industry at stake

The possible delay or even cancellation of the IFV programme would not only mean, that the anticipated technical modernization of the Czech land forces would be prolonged for even years. It could also have a devastating influence on the condition of the local defense industry, which was expected  to play a significant role in the project and benefit from the production of new armoured vehicles. The Czech government had a strict requirement that the future IFVs would be manufactured locally, with the biggest possible involvement of the Czech companies.

All three bidders have already declared, that they are ready to move the production of new IFVs directly to the Czech Republic under the Transfer-of-Technology agreement. A number of partnership agreements were also signed with local defense manufacturers.

It was also expected that a number of Czech defense companies would become partners in global production and supply chains of BAE Systems, GDELS or Rheinmetall, allowing them to promote their product and services on export markets.

The new Czech IFVs were to replace the currently operated, legacy BVP-2s, which due to their obsolescence and technical condition do not meet the requirements of the modern battlefield / Picture: The Czech MoD

Article previously published on MILMAG 01/2020

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