Polish Leopard 2PL modernization delayed

The ongoing modernization of the fleet of 142 Leopard 2A4 MBTs to the 2PL standard is one of the most important investments that the Polish Armed Forces have made in recent years. Its successful finalization might change the posture of country’s Land Forces and significantly enhance Poland’s security and defense capabilities. The project is run by a consortium composed of the subsidiaries of the Polish Armament Group (PGZ, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa), with ZM Bumar-Labedy acting as the leader.

The original contract for modernization of Leopard 2A4 MBTs was signed at the end of 2015. It called for an upgrade of 128 vehicles by late 2020. In 2018 the MoD and industry reached a following agreement, which added an optional batch of 14 upgraded MBTs to the project, with delivery scheduled for 2021.

In early 2016 Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH (RLS), a subsidiary of Rheinmetall Defence, became a strategic partner of the programme. According to an agreement signed at that time with PGZ and a number of its companies, the German manufacturer was responsible for designing the Leopard 2PL upgrade and preparing technical documentation.

The fleet of 142 Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks, which the Polish MoD wants to modernize to the 2PL standard, was originally acquired from German Bundeswehr’s stocks and delivered to Poland in 2002-2004 and 2013 / Picture: Rheinmetall Landsysteme

On 24th December 2019 the original agreement for modernization of Leopard 2A4s was amended by the Armament Inspectorate and the local industry. The new deal that was reached, allowing for additional works and services to be carried out in order to move the whole process forward at the desired pace. In result, the project’s budget grew by additional PLN569 million (€125 million), bringing the total cost of Leopard 2PL modernization to PLN3.2 billion (€704 million).

However, the Armament Inspectorate has recently informed that the consortium responsible for the modernization of Leopard 2A4/2PL MBTs failed to achieve a number of significant milestones of the project. Therefore, the original deadline for delivery of upgraded Leopard tanks will most likely not be met. At the moment the Polish MoD estimates that the modernization programme will conclude by 31st July 2023, when the final batch of upgraded MBTs should be handed over to the Polish Army

On 28th December 2015 the Armament Inspectorate signed a contract with the Polish Armament Group and ZM Bumar-Łabędy. The agreement was worth 2,4 billion Polish Zloty (€528 million) and called for modernization of the initial batch of 128 Leopard 2A4 MBTs to the 2PL standard. Shortly after Rheinmetall Landsysteme became the strategic partner of the project. In May 2018 the original contract was amended and the option for the upgrade of an additional batch of 14 Leopard 2A4s was added to the programme / Picture: Rheinmetall Group

Despite over a year long tests and trials of prototype vehicles, conducted by the industry and military, the initial batch of Leopard 2PL MBTs has still to be delivered to the Army. Only after they are handed over, the Polish Army will be able to commence the final assessment, which will confirm (or not) if all modifications and enhancements implemented on the platform meet technical and operational requirements of its future user.

At the beginning of the year, the spokesman of the Armament Inspectorate, major Krzysztof Platek, announced that final tests of Leopard 2PL prototype vehicles should conclude by the end of March. This would allow to finalize their delivery to the Army in Q1/Q2 2020. However, until today the Polish MoD or the Armament Inspectorate has failed to confirm that milestone.

The one reason is simply that the whole testing process currently has to continue at a slower pace than normal due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which affects some or all aspects of the project. However, it’s also probable that during these tests, the MoD or the Army identified a number of additional technical issues, which had to be dealt with before prototype vehicles could be formally handed over.

According to the revised timeline for delivery of Leopard 2PL MBTs, all modernized tanks should be handed over to the Army by 2023, which means a 2-3 year delay in relation to the original schedule / Picture: Michał Jarocki

PGZ issued a statement exclusively to MILMAG, in which it states that ‘the manufacturer and its foreign partner, Rheinmetall Landsysteme already implemented all technical modifications on the 1st batch of 10 MBT’s upgraded to Leopard 2PL standard. Two of these vehicles remain stored at Rheinmetall’s facilities, while remaining eight are ready to be delivered to the Army, following approval of its final configuration by the Armament Inspectorate’.

A few months earlier the Armament Inspectorate stated that the testing process of Leopard 2PL MBTs required some additional work, due to a number of flaws and shortcomings in the technical documentation of the vehicle.

‘The tests of the Leopard 2PL prototype have not yet concluded due to a number of areas, which still need to be confirmed in terms of their compliance with several dozen requirements included in the Technical Specification,’ maj. Platek informed in February.

Maj. Platek added that despite continued problems with testing of Leopard 2PL prototype vehicle, the whole programme is well under way. It has been confirmed that several dozen of serial-production Leopard 2A4 MBTs were already delivered to ZM Bumar-Labedy, where they are currently stored and overhauled, while awaiting upgrade.

‘The contractor verified the technical condition of stored vehicles and is currently upgrading them in parallel to ongoing trials,’ said Platek. ‘Particular MBTs are in different stages of the modernisation process’, he added.

Major Platek’s statements correspond with the position taken by PGZ on the matter. The Group confirmed that ‘for the deadline for delivery of serial production Leopard 2PLs in 2020 to be met, it would depend on when prototype vehicles are handed over. In order to minimize the risk of potential delay, ZM Bumar-Łabędy has already commenced work on 30 serial production Leopard 2A4 MBTs.’

The Group added that ‘in February 2020 we succeeded to integrate the 120mm tank ammunition, manufactured by our Mesko subsidiary, with Leopard 2PL MBTs. All required tests have already been concluded and currently we’re waiting for the final configuration of the vehicle and its technical documentation to be approved by the Armament Inspectorate.’

According to PGZ ‘the deadline for the conclusion of the contract is an important factor, but not the only determinant of its proper finalization, which has to be taken into consideration by both sides of the agreement. (…) Our priority is to deliver a product, which complies with the requirements of the MoD. We work hand in hand with representatives of the department to assure that upgraded MBTs will be handed over to the Polish Army at the nearest possible date.’

PGZ added that ‘irrespective of the ongoing trials of the Leopard 2PL prototype, ZM Bumar-Labedy continuously engages in the overhaul and repair of a number of Leopard 2A4 MBTs, which were delivered to the manufacturer prior to the awaited upgrade. It will allow us to speed up the modernization and delivery of upgraded MBTs, once the final configuration of the Leopard 2PL vehicle is accepted by the Army.’

The Leopard 2PL modernization programme calls for integration of a number of new onboard systems and equipment with the legacy 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/ Picture: Jakub Link-Lenczowski

Leopard 2PL MBTs will be equipped with: KLW-1 ASTERIA thermal cameras and KDN-1 NYKS observation cameras, both manufactured by the local PCO company / Picture: Jakub Link-Lenczowski

142 modernized Leopard 2PLs will constitute the core of the Polish Army’s MBT fleet along with 105 Leopard 2A5s, 233 PT-91s and approx. 270 T-72M1s / Picture: Michał Jarocki

In general, the Leopard 2PL modernization programme calls for integration of a number of new onboard systems and equipment with the legacy 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.

Following the modernization programme the Polish Army will operate a fleet of 142 relatively modern Leopard 2PL MBTs along with 105 Leopard 2A5s – both platforms originally coming from German Bundeswehr’s stocks. They will be supplemented by 233 PT-91s and approx. 270 T-72M1s, with the latter currently undergoing a limited upgrade.

However, neither PT-91s nor T-72M1s meet the requirements of the modern battlefield, mostly due to their obsolescence and bad technical condition. Therefore, both platforms are planned to be phased out and replaced by a next generation MBT, which the Polish MoD intends to procure in the future under the ‘Wilk’ programme.

Article previously published on MILMAG 01/2020