Four European armored vehicles qualify for Polish competition

By: Jaroslaw Adamowski

KIELCE, Poland — Poland has accepted four offers to move forward in a competition to potentially provide several hundred armored personnel carriers to the country's military, the Ministry of Defence announced.

Out of the 12 vehicles submitted in the initial stage of the tender, the ministry accepted four APCs:

• Fortress MK2, jointly offered by France's Arquus and Poland's H. Cegielski-Poznan plant.
• Hawkei, developed by French firm Thales.
• Patriot II, offered by Polish manufacturer Huta Stalowa Wola and Czech defense group Tatra Export.
• Tur V, developed by Polish vehicle-maker AMZ Kutno.

The Fortress MK2 weighs 14.5 tons, and its engine is enabled with a 340-horsepower (250-kilowatt) capacity.

The Hawkei is a 7-ton vehicle, and its engine offers 268-horsepower.

The Patriot II weighs 13-17 tons, depending on the version, and its engine enabled with 362-402-horsepower capacity.

Weighing 9 tons, the Tur V is fitted with an engine that offers a 322-horsepower capacity.

By the end of this year, the Polish ministry is expected to provide the tender's participants with detailed technical specifications. Under the plan, the vehicle will be produced in Poland, and the first units are to be delivered to the Polish military two years after the contract is awarded.

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/09/09/four-european-armored-vehicles-qualify-for-polish-competition