Polish Armoured Vehicles And Their Modernizations.

[DB]

On 11/4/2025 at 7:35 PM, Damian said:

In my opinion, these vehicles are still new, as @Markus Becker pointed out, these are not just refurbished, but hulls and turrets are cut and welded again, with new armor, and all internal components are replaced. For me this is a new vehicle, just build with using some plates from old hull and turret.

Absolutely understood, but when someone is looking for a negative spin, the nuanced truth is more easily misconstrued.

Just look at every politics topic, everywhere.

[R011]

It does mean Poland is delendent on imported previously owned vehicles to produce Abrams rather than building them entirely from scratch.  That doesnt mean the completed vehicles are in any way inferior to completely new ones.

[Damian]

Yesterday, another batch of K2's was unloaded in one of the ports in Poland. This means that deliveries of 180 K2's procured within executive agreement no.1 had been completed, and we have 180 K2 MBT's. In 2026 deliveries of 180 K2's from executive agreement no.2 will commence, 116 K2's will be delivered in 2026-2027 and from 2028 K2PL's deliveries will commence.

Probably in december or in december 2025 - january 2026 another batch of M1A2SEPv3's will be delivered.

At the moment Polish Army have:

- 116 M1A1FEP,

- 85/250 M1A2SEPv3,

- 180/360 K2,

- 105 Leopard 2A5,

- 128 Leopard 2A4/Leopard 2PL.

In total - 614 modern MBT's.

By the end of 2027 we will have:

- 116 M1A1FEP,

- 250 M1A2SEPv3,

- 296 K2,

- 105 Leopard 2A5,

- 128 Leopard 2PL.

In total - 895 modern MBT's.

We will also still use some PT-91's and T-72's as vehicles for OPFOR.

[Damian]

More good news. Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze Nr.1 and 2nd Regional Logistics Base, signed agreement, for maintenance repairs and overhauls of AGT1500 gas turbine engines used in M1A1FEP, M1A2SEPv3, M1110 JAB and M1150 ABV vehicles procured by Polish MoD.

This means that Poland right now, is building entire Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul system for these vehicles in it's own industry, in cooperation with GDLS, BAE Systems, Honeywell and Allison Transmission.

[Markus Becker]

On 11/7/2025 at 8:52 PM, R011 said:

It does mean Poland is delendent on imported previously owned vehicles to produce Abrams rather than building them entirely from scratch. 

Does Poland plan to make M1s from scratch at home? K2s definitely but M1s? 

[R011]

2 hours ago, Markus Becker said:

Does Poland plan to make M1s from scratch at home? K2s definitely but M1s? 

At the moment, it seems they don't need to and probably won't for some time, if ever

[Markus Becker]

My understanding too. Polonized K2s and also M1s to get the numbers up fast enough. 

[alejandro_]

Couple of news from Poland's defence minister:

Deliveries of first batch of 180 K2PL has been completed. They have all been delivered to 16th Mechanized Division, which is a large unit for today's standards. It has 1 armoured brigade, 2 mechanized brigade, and a motorized brigade.

https://x.com/KosiniakKamysz/status/1989047208503656631

This unit and the Missile and Artillery Training Center in Toruń have also received 21 K9, which means there are 200 self propelled guns of this type in service. 

https://x.com/KosiniakKamysz/status/1989994436026044641

[Damian]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_equipment_of_the_Polish_Land_Forces

Updated list of Polish Land Forces equipment.

[Damian]

Soldiers from 15th Mechanized Brigade, during their new equipment training with first company of Borsuk IFV's.

[Damian]

A significant information that was provided by the MoD today, as answer to parlimentary inquiry. MoD confirmed that starting with 2026, Polish MoD and Armed Forces, will start process to procure Active Protection Systems for Armored Fighting Vehicles, but also what is even more important, they will restart in cooperation with Polish industry, development of indigenous APS.

[Damian]

Armaments Agency just informed, that they ordered additional 11 M88A2 armored recovery vehicles, and additional support equipment for M1A1FEP and M1A2SEPv3 main battle tanks. This contract is worth around 100 mln USD, which makes M88A2 really cheap vehicle. So far Polish Army ordered 49 M88A2's.

[Damian]

Recently Polish Army, started to receive improved Krab SPH's, these have new front and rear cameras for driver, additional smoke dischargers on turret, new larger A/C, NBC or whatever this is, unit mounted to the turret rear, and probably some additional internal changes.

This is interim improved variant, before production at some point will switch to Krab 2.

[Markus Becker]

49 minutes ago, Damian said:

This is interim improved variant, before production at some point will switch to Krab 2.

Huh, isn't K9 supposed to be the new SPG or does that take so much time that the ongoing Krab production will continue to go one for the time being? 

[Damian]

6 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

Huh, isn't K9 supposed to be the new SPG or does that take so much time that the ongoing Krab production will continue to go one for the time being? 

K9A1 was a quick procurement for urgent operational requirement, due to donation of many 2S1's to Ukraine. So there was a need to quickly fill that gap. While Krab production is ongoing in it's pace, and HSW is working on Krab 2, which will have for example full autoloader for it's main gun. I seen graphics during my visit at HSW, but we were not allowed to make any photos.

[Markus Becker]

Ok, so I remembered that wrong. Also didn't expect that 2S1 was still in the active part of the Polish military, not reserve stuff like the T-72s. Though once depleted that need to be refilled too. 

[urbanoid]

8 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

Huh, isn't K9 supposed to be the new SPG or does that take so much time that the ongoing Krab production will continue to go one for the time being? 

Krab's production line is 'full', I think we might be working on creating another one on top of that. 

We're not just replacing stuff we donated/sold to Ukraine (which could in total be over 100 of 2S1s alone, plus 54 Krabs, some from military stocks and some new), we're expanding.

2 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

Ok, so I remembered that wrong. Also didn't expect that 2S1 was still in the active part of the Polish military, not reserve stuff like the T-72s. Though once depleted that need to be refilled too. 

T-72s are 'active' too. 

[Markus Becker]

That's a lot of Krabs donated. 

And do you mean modernized T-72 aka PT-91? I meant the reserve 72s. 

[Damian]

13 minutes ago, Markus Becker said:

That's a lot of Krabs donated. 

And do you mean modernized T-72 aka PT-91? I meant the reserve 72s. 

Poland donated over 200 T-72's of various variants + ~30-60 PT-91's + 14 Leopard 2A4's.

There is still over 170-200 PT-91's in service + probably few battalions of T-72's, these will stay in service untill replaced by new vehicles, and later most likely will be relegated to OPFOR unit, as even today, being in active service, they are used as OPFOR vehicles.

Edited November 28 by Damian

[Markus Becker]

And once again I must admit my ignorance of 2021 Polish military reality.

I thought that the active armoured force was all Leo 2 and PT-91, with T-72 being entirely in reserve. 

[Damian]

Not AFV's subject, but just right now, SpaceX Falcon 9, started in to space with first Polish Armed Forces recon satelites. Very important day for Polish Armed Forces.

[Damian]

Today another batch of 32 M1A2SEPv3's had been delivered. This means that GDLS completed 46,8% of the order for 250 MBT's, and Polish Armed Forces so far received 117 M1A2SEPv3's along 116 M1A1FEP's and around 26 M88A2's. So at the moment we have:

- 116 M1A1FEP,

- 117 M1A2SEPv3,

- 180 K2GF,

- 105 Leopard 2A5,

- 128 Leopard 2A4/PL,

- 646 modern MBT's in total.

US still must deliver 133 M1A2SEPv3's, 23 M88A2's, 25 M1110's and 25 M1150's.

[Stuart Galbraith]

On 11/28/2025 at 7:20 PM, Damian said:

Not AFV's subject, but just right now, SpaceX Falcon 9, started in to space with first Polish Armed Forces recon satelites. Very important day for Polish Armed Forces.

I feel it is expected of me to lower the tone...

[urbanoid]

3 minutes ago, Stuart Galbraith said:

I feel it is expected of me to lower the tone...

I'm waiting for the delivery of 3 books I ordered, from a guy who predicted Ukraine war (to a month, I think) several years before the invasion, he said on his podcast that one of the chapters in one of those books is 'Poland can into space'.

[Stuart Galbraith]

1 hour ago, urbanoid said:

I'm waiting for the delivery of 3 books I ordered, from a guy who predicted Ukraine war (to a month, I think) several years before the invasion, he said on his podcast that one of the chapters in one of those books is 'Poland can into space'.