Another Batch of The UKM-2000 Machine Guns For The Polish Army

According to the information released by Marek Kołdras, the communication officer of the ZM Tarnów (Tarnów Mechanical Works) Company, ZM Tarnów signed an agreement with the Armament Inspectorate, the aim of which would be to acquire, within the period 2015-2018, 378 sets of the UKM-2000P machine guns (30 sets in 2015, 138 in 2016, 106 in 2017 and 104 in 2018).

(...) Acquiring another type of machine gun would (...) complicate the operation of the existing technical subsystem (...) as it would require expansion of the scope and inventory of the procured materials and technology, conducing training activities for the specialists working for the repair units, acquisition of additional equipment for realization of maintenance and repairs. Such acquisition would also make it more difficult to train the soldiers at the training centres and in the elements of the Land Forces.

The Inspectorate notes that the decision pertaining the single source procurement procedure stems from the fact that the organ is willing to avoid the complication of the logistics- and training-related procedures, all of which would be related to utilization of the machine guns by the Armed Forces. Secondly, thanks to the fact that there is no need to acquire the additional equipment, should equipment other than “the one manufactured in line with the existing technical specification and introduced into the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces” be purchased, no need would exist to acquire additional equipment required in order to support the operational activities and use.

UKM-200P machine guns have been introduced into use in the Polish Army through the request No. 73/GZL-P4, issued on 7th November 2005. The last agreement related to procurement of this type of machine guns was concluded by the Armament Inspectorate with the Tarnów facility back in 2011. The Agreement did not provide for complementary orders.