During the ceremony, held at the company’s Łaziska branch, PONAR President Marek Warzecha and Krzysztof Grochowski, Director of the Łaziska Górne branch, presented the company’s development plans as a supplier of key components for the defense industry. The most important investment will be the construction of a new hall with an area of 1,850 m² and a height of 15 m. The new facility is to be adapted for the installation of hydraulic systems in large-scale platforms, such as long-range radar stations. The infrastructure expansion is closely linked to the “PONAR Defence” strategy developed in 2024, under which the Wadowice-based company is steadily investing in further defense projects.
Ceremonial inauguration of construction work on PONAR’s new hall. The facility is to be adapted for work on the largest platforms supplied by the Polish defense industry, including long-range radar stations / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
PONAR Wadowice plays an important role in the Polish defense sector as a supplier of specialized fluid-power systems and components for military platforms. The company’s solutions are used in many key technical modernization programs of the Polish Armed Forces, including Krab self-propelled howitzers, Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, Bystra mobile radar stations, air defense systems, and naval artillery-missile systems. MILMAG has learned that PONAR is also involved in the development of a new heavy IFV. The company has already built a new 14-arm hydropneumatic suspension, which is currently being installed at Huta Stalowa Wola in the prototype.
Model of the Ratel IFV presented at the MSPO trade fair in Kielce / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The company primarily supplies hydraulic systems, actuators, blocks, valves, power units, and solutions responsible for stabilization, leveling, track tensioning, and the operation of artillery mechanisms. In practice, this means that PONAR provides key subsystems affecting the mobility, operating precision, and reliability of military equipment. Work on hydropneumatic suspensions for tracked vehicles and hydraulic installations for special-purpose vehicles is also of particular importance (PONAR Wadowice establishes strategic cooperation with Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne).
Hydropneumatic suspension components being installed on the hull of the 155 mm Krab self-propelled howitzer at Huta Stalowa Wola / Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
PONAR representatives also highlighted the company’s growing cooperation with other defense-industry entities, including Demarko and Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne. As a result, the company is expanding its involvement in projects related to specialist trailers, military bodywork, and special-purpose vehicles. Another important area of development is its involvement in the production of Bohdana artillery systems in Poland through PK MIL, a company established jointly with a Ukrainian industrial partner (PONAR Wadowice to produce Ukrainian Bohdana howitzers in Poland).
Test stand for testing road arms for tracked vehicles, located at the plant in Łaziska Górne / Photo: PONAR
As a result, PONAR has become one of Europe’s most important suppliers of hydraulic technologies for the military. Although the company is not primarily associated with the production of complete weapon systems, its solutions are an important element of many modern combat and support platforms, strengthening national industrial capabilities in the defense sector (PONAR Wadowice and Demarko join forces in strategic cooperation for the defense and industrial sectors).