On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, during this year’s edition of Defence24 Days at the PGE Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) and the Ministry of State Assets signed a funding agreement for the construction of the AGT1500 Engine Service Center, which will be located at the Dęblin branch of WZL-1.
Dęblin expertise is not limited to aviation. Europe’s only authorized AGT1500 engine service center for Abrams tanks will be established in this city / Photos: Polish Armaments Group
The objective of the project is to launch an AGT1500 Engine Service Center at the Dęblin branch of Military Aviation Works No. 1, for engines powering M1A1FEP and M1A2SEPv3 Abrams tanks. The center will have the capabilities to perform a broad range of D-level, or industrial-level, repairs of Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engines. As part of the investment, the technical infrastructure of the Dęblin branch will be adapted, personnel will be trained, and stocks of spare parts will be accumulated to carry out AGT1500 engine repairs.
“This is one of the most important agreements we are signing this year. It is about building capabilities that are unique on a European scale. It is about further strengthening our logistical, industrial, and technological sovereignty. Funding of 130 million PLN from the Capital Investment Fund means that Abrams tank engines will not have to be sent overseas,” emphasized Deputy Minister of State Assets Konrad Gołota.
“Just 1.5 months ago, at Military Aviation Works No. 1 in Łódź, we launched construction of the Industrial Apache Helicopter Service Center, which will ultimately provide comprehensive support for the 96 AH-64E helicopters ordered by the Ministry of National Defence. This will be the second-largest fleet of these helicopters in the world after the United States. Today, we are equipping our company with new capabilities that go far beyond its previous scope of operations. We are creating Europe’s only authorized AGT1500 engine service center for Abrams tanks. In this way, we are diversifying the company’s operating model and, at the same time, increasing its competitiveness and business prospects,” said Adam Leszkiewicz, President of the Management Board of PGZ.
The investment will be carried out in 2026–2027 for a total amount of 165.2 million PLN, consisting of 130.7 million PLN in recapitalization from the Capital Investment Fund and 34.6 million PLN from WZL-1’s own funds. In addition to the above capital expenditure, the company will incur expenses for the establishment of a buffer warehouse for spare parts, bringing the total cost of establishing the investment capability to around 300 million PLN.
“One may ask what heavy Abrams tanks have to do with Dęblin, which we commonly associate with the Polish Air Force University. And what Military Aviation Works No. 1, which for 60 years has specialized in the maintenance, servicing, and overhauls of helicopters, has to do with these tanks,” said Arkadiusz Bąk, First Vice President of the Management Board of PGZ. “But it is precisely the Dęblin branch of WZL-1 that is predestined to carry out the project to build the center, due to its many years of experience in overhauling turboshaft engines. In the case of the AGT1500, we are dealing with an engine manufactured by a company with a distinctly aviation profile, using design solutions, materials, and control systems taken directly from aerospace engineering. That is why we have entrusted the servicing of these engines to our company with an aviation profile and experience,” explained Arkadiusz Bąk.
The investment schedule provides for WZL-1 to obtain the capability to service AGT1500 engines as early as the first quarter of 2028. Once it has obtained engine-servicing capabilities, WZL-1 will become the only authorized AGT1500 engine service center in Europe, enabling it to service engines from other countries. The investment is part of the long-term development strategy of WZL-1 and the PGZ Group, strengthening its production and service capabilities as well as its position in the defense-sector market.
Implementation of the investment project will allow WZL-1 to expand its service offering, strengthen the company’s market position by increasing its capacity to support contracts with key customers, including in the defense sector, increase employment in the region, support the development of the local economy, and raise technical and operational standards in AGT1500 engine servicing.
It should be noted that on November 14, 2025, WZL-1 signed a framework agreement with the 2nd Regional Logistics Base for the provision of verification, servicing, and overhaul services for AGT1500 engines in the Polish Armed Forces. The agreement will remain in force from 2028 to 2034.
Earlier, on July 6, 2022, Polish Armaments Group signed a memorandum of cooperation with the U.S. company Honeywell concerning the establishment of local servicing capabilities for key military components and infrastructure in the areas of engines, powertrains, and vehicle electronics for the Polish Armed Forces. As reported at the time, thanks to the cooperation, the engines would be serviced domestically, significantly shortening the time needed to carry out maintenance work and increasing the availability of military equipment for the Polish Armed Forces.
The AGT1500 gas turbine engine, with an output of 1,500 hp, or 1,103 kW, in the TIGER (Total Integrated Engine Revitalization) standard, is coupled with an improved Allison DDA X-1100-3B automatic transmission in a power-pack configuration.
It is a three-shaft engine of modular design, consisting of five submodules, including a two-stage low-pressure compressor and a four-stage high-pressure compressor. Its dimensions are approximately 1.6 m by 1 m by 0.7 m, and its weight is around 1,134 kg. It is characterized by a high power-to-weight ratio, compact design, the ability to operate on various fuels, such as gasoline, diesel, and aviation fuel, rapid start-up, immediate power availability, and relatively quiet operation, with high-frequency sound that is difficult to detect from a distance. The TIGER program improved the reliability of the units.
The Polish Armed Forces operate 116 M1A1FEP tanks and 146 of the 250 ordered M1A2SEPv3 Abrams tanks.
CIĘŻKIE BUM na początek @Defence24Days ze strony @PGZ_pl & @MAPGOVPL 💥 JEDYNE w Europie autoryzowane centrum serwisowe silników AGT 1500 do czołgów Abrams powstanie w Dęblinie! 📣#podpisane || @KonradGolota, Wiceminister @MAPGOVPL oraz @AdamLeszkiewicz, Prezes Zarządu @PGZ_pl… pic.twitter.com/194w6OwRU2
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) May 6, 2026
Czołgowe serca będą serwisowane w Dęblinie – lotniczej kolebce Polski
✍️W trakcie konferencji @Defence24Days wiceminister @KonradGolota jako przedstawiciel MAP podpisał z @PGZ_pl umowę dofinansowania na budowę Centrum Serwisowego Silników AGT 1500.
⚙️Celem projektu jest… pic.twitter.com/QQbJ385Tw6
— Ministerstwo Aktywów Państwowych 🇵🇱 (@MAPGOVPL) May 6, 2026