On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, Zakłady Mechaniczne Tarnów (ZMT), part of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), announced that on September 30, in accordance with the schedule, they completed the delivery of several hundred 7.62-mm UKM-2000P zmod (modified) machine guns, ordered by the Armament Agency last year.
Photo and Image: Aneta Gawle, ZMT
The subject of the contract dated June 13, 2023, was the delivery of several hundred sets of UKM-2000P general purpose machine guns. The total value of the order is approximately 55 million PLN gross. The first batch, consisting of 215 sets, was delivered on November 30, 2023, and the second on April 2, 2024.
“The execution of this contract is another step for us in strengthening the defensive capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces. The modified UKM-2000P is a tool that not only meets the highest standards but is also adapted to the realities of modern warfare,” said Wojciech Patoła, a member of the board of ZM Tarnów.
Description
The UKM-2000P is a general purpose machine gun (UKM – uniwersalny karabin maszynowy) that is designed to combat enemy personnel, fire support assets, and technical equipment. It is fed with 7.62 mm x 51 NATO ammunition, in magazines containing either 100 or 200 rounds, depending on their size. It allows for engaging targets at distances up to 1,500 meters, with a rate of fire ranging from 700 to 900 rounds per minute.
The UKM-2000P is the primary support weapon at the squad level in the Polish Armed Forces, designed as a successor to the Russian PK/PKM. The weapon was introduced into service by order GZL-P4 SG WP No. 73/GZL-P4 on November 7, 2005. Work on the general purpose machine gun began in 1998 as part of the “Rod” program, and the UKM-2000 successfully passed qualification tests in 2004.
The UKM-2000P had its combat debut during missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where, following feedback from soldiers regarding its ergonomics and functionality, the manufacturer introduced a total of 26 modifications. Starting in 2016, the modified version of the weapon began to enter military service.
The UKM-2000 weapon system includes: the UKM-2000P (Piechoty – Infantry) with a fixed wooden stock (weight 8.4 kg, barrel length 547 mm), used as a light machine gun; the UKM-2000D (Desantowy – Airborne) with a folding wooden stock on the right side (547 mm barrel, weight 8.9 kg); and the UKM-2000C (Czołgowy – Tank), a vehicle-mounted variant equipped with an electric trigger (636 mm barrel, weight 10.7 kg). The latter has been installed in the turrets of the Rosomak M1/M1M wheeled armored personnel carriers. These weapons were designed as replacements for Soviet designs: the first two for the PK/PKM machine guns, and the third for the PKT tank machine gun.
In 2022, the Border Guard also received the latest version of the UKM-2020S machine guns, which are lighter and more ergonomic for the user. This machine gun will serve as a complement to the UKM-2000 family of machine guns.
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