Land Forces
First Abrams Received in Poznan
PGZ Group announced that M1A1FEP main battle tanks, and M88A2 Hercules ARVs have been received at the Military Automotive Works (WZM) in Poznań. These tanks are the second batch of Abrams MBTs for the Polish Armed Forces, but also the first one that would undergo the process of taking them out of deep storage in Poznan.
The delivery of M1A1FEP main battle tanks and M88A2 Hercules ARVs to the WZM S.A. facility in Poznan translates, in practical terms, into a launch of the domestic center of expertise (and maintenance), for the heavy, tracked armour procured in the US. The first examples of the M1A1FEP and M88A2 platforms destined for the Polish Armed Forces were sent to Biedrusko.
Do #WZM został skierowany pierwszy transport czołgów #Abrams w wersji M1A1FEP oraz wozów zabezpieczenia technicznego M88A2 pozyskanych przez 🇵🇱 SZ RP. Pracując ramię w ramię z partnerem strategicznym @GD_LandSystems, spółka będzie realizowała tzw. deprocessing.#centrumpancerne pic.twitter.com/wjFfCxn9bb
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) December 12, 2023
WZM S.A. would be working with OEMs, namely General Dynamics Land Systems (M1A1, M1A2, M1110, M1150), and BAE Systems (M88A2). The equipment would undergo post-shipment deprocessing. Following the general overhaul at the factory (including zeroing the mileage), the vehicles were processed in the US, for shipping to Europe. Following the deprocessing, the main battle tanks and the ARVs would undergo an inspection to verify whether they match the specifications outlined in the documentation. Next, the vehicles would undergo handing-off procedure, before being handed over to the Polish Army.
Photo. 18th Mechanized Division