Who is to Deliver a Replacement of the Honker Platform for the Polish Military?

Responding to a question asked by Defence24.pl, the Polish Ministry of Defence announced that 11 potential contractors willingly asked to be involved in a tendering procedure pertaining to procurement of high-mobility passenger/cargo vehicles:

1. TEAM Marek Pasierbski and TEAM Marek Pasierbski Sp. z o.o.;
2. SVOS spol. s r.o. (Czech Republic);
3. AMZ-Kutno S.A.;
4. AUTOBOX Innovations Sp. z o.o. S.k. and Auto Special Sp. z o.o.;
5. DEMARKO Sp. z o.o., Multimotors and Franz Achleitner Farzeugbau und Raifenzentrum GmBH;
6. SKB Drive TECH S.A. and Global Fleet Sales LLC;
7. KAFAR Bartłomiej Sztukiert, HIBNERYT Sp. z o.o. and Benepol Sp. z o.o.;
8. Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne Sp. z o.o.; MARVEL Sp. z o.o.. and ITS Solutions Sp. z o.o..;
9. H. Cegielski-Poznań S.A.;
10. URO Vehiculos Especiales S.A. (Spain);
11. Zamet Głowno Adam Pruski, Zdzisław Łuczak Sp. J. and Dom Samochodowy Germaz Sp. z o.o.”.

Two foreign companies have submitted their requests to be involved in the procedure on their own (URO and SVOS). Meanwhile, a majority of the submissions comes from Polish domestic entities collaborating, with a varied degree of involvement, with foreign vehicle manufacturers. One state-owned company also made a submission, here we are referring to the H. Cegielski-Poznań S.A facility. The former procedures were involving consortia including PGZ or PHO groups.

Within the framework of the Mustang programme the Armament Inspectorate is willing to procure (guaranteed order) 900 4×4 vehicles, including 41 non-armoured and 859 armoured platforms. The acquisition is to take place between 2019 and 2022. Procurement of another 812 examples of the vehicle is optional.

The allowable total weight of the version without armour is still defined as 3.5 tonnes, with at least 1 tonne of payload. The standard variant of the Mustang vehicle should be tailored to carry six soldiers with a driver, while the version with Level 1 STANAG 4569 compliant armour should be able to carry 4 soldiers with a driver, with payload carrying capacity of 600 kilograms. The subject of the agreement also includes repairs, servicing and maintenance during the guarantee period, with the work being carried out at authorized workshops within and beyond the Polish borders, as indicated by the contractor. The procurement procedure is being carried out in a form of a limited tender. Up to 10 contractors will be invited to place their offers.

Mustang acquisition is very much expected by the Polish soldiers as the vehicles would replace the obsolete Honker or even older UAZ-469B platforms. Honkers, apart from being used at the garrisons, also act as command vehicles or ATGM carriers.

The Polish military is also willing to acquire heavier armoured multi-role vehicles, within the framework of the Pegaz programme. Command vehicles, with their parameters equivalent to the Pegaz platform, should become an element of the squadron fire module created as a result of the Homar multiple rocket launch system programme. At the moment the similar Langusta system employs UAZ-469B command vehicle at the lower level, which makes it impossible to fully utilize their Topaz fire control suite.