1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade receives Leopard 2PL MBTs
The new equipment was already tested during a series of field exercises conducted by elements of the 18th Mechanised Division, which aside from the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade, also includes: 19th Lublin Mechanized Brigade in Lublin and 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade in Rzeszów. An independent 25th Air Cavalry Brigade in Tomaszów Mazowiecki also took part in the event.
Delivery of the first batch of Leo 2PL MBTs to the 1st Warsaw Armoured Brigade indicates that the Polish Army has probably taken over as much as 9 modernized main battle tanks. The first 6 vehicles are said to have already been handed over to the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade in Świętoszów, subordinate to the 11th Armoured Cavalry Division in Żagań. They are used for training of future Leo 2PL crews and maintenance personnel.
At the end of May 2020 the Polish Army took delivery of a number of prototype Leopard 2PL MBTs. The vehicles were to be delivered to the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade stationed in Świętoszów shortly after.
Overall fleet modernization
The contract for modernization of the 1st batch of 128 Leopard 2A4 MBTs to the 2PL standard was signed in late 2015 by the Polish MoD and a number of Polish defence companies, such as the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, PGZ) and its subsidiaries: ZM Bumar-Labedy, WZM (Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne), PCO, Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów, ROSOMAK, and OBRUM . These vehicles were acquired in the 2010’s from the German Army’s stocks.
Initially, the contract had a value of 2,4 billion Polish Zloty (€520 million). However, in 2018 the original agreement was amended and an annex regarding the modernization of additional 14 2A4s, from the batch acquired from Germany in 2014-201, was added. In result, the project’s total cost increased by 300 million Polish Zloty (€65 million).
Subsequent to the signing of the contract for Leopard 2A4 modernization, a consortium of Polish defense companies reached an agreement with the Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH, under which the German manufacturer will play a decisive role in the whole project. In result Rheinmetall became responsible for working out the whole modernization plan and overseeing implementation of required modifications on a number of prototype Leopard 2PL MBTs.
The German manufacturer also agreed to help the Polish defense industry develop capabilities required for the future modernization of the serial production Leopard 2PL vehicles as well as setting up a local maintenance, overhaul and repair centre.
Continuing irregularities and project’s delay
In 2018 the German Rheinmetall delivered the first prototype Leopard 2PL vehicles. They were handed over to the ZM Bumar-Labedy company for further testing and evaluation. The Polish industry, in hand with the Army, were to confirm that all required modifications were actually implemented and that the modernized vehicles meet the operational and combat requirements of the future operator.
The ongoing tests helped to identify a number of technical issues which troubled the prototype Leopard 2PL vehicles. The Army required that these were dealt with preceding their formal hand over. Furthermore, a number of new requirements, which were not included in the original modernization project, were also added. Their implementation required additional work, eventually extending the modification process.
In the early 2020 the Armaments Inspectorate, which acts on behalf of the Polish MoD, informed that the original deadlines for modernization of the whole fleet of Leopard 2A4 MBTs won’t be met. According to the current estimates, the full fleet of 142 modernised Leopard 2PL vehicles should be delivered to the Army by 31st July 2023.
Additionally, on 24th December 2019 the Armaments Inspectorate amended the original contract for MBTs modernization. The updated document included additional works and services, which need to be included in the project. In result, additional PLN569 million (€124 million) had to be added to the programme’s original cost, increasing the total budget to PLN3.2 billion (€700 million).
Overall, the Leopard 2PL modernization programme includes implementation of a number of new onboard systems and equipment to the platform, such as: new/upgraded observation and aiming sites for the commander and gunner, improved ballistic protection of the turret, new electronic system for turret traverse and cannon elevation, installation of more effective fire/explosion prevention system, new command and control system, additional APU generator, additional cargo carrying equipment and upgraded evacuation/towing system adjusted to the higher weight of the platform, new fire control system, new ammunition (DM63 antitank and DM11 multipurpose) and day/night reverse camera for the driver.
