Industry
Polish Maintenance Support for Abrams Gas Turbines: PGZ Group and Honeywell Sign a Memorandum
Photo. PGZ
The PGZ Group signed a memorandum with Honeywell, on establishing local maintenance capacity for key components, along with military infrastructure, all related to engines, propulsion systems, and vehicular electronics operated by the Polish Armed Forces. The memorandum also covers the servicing of the AGT-1500 gas turbines used in the Abrams MBTs. Those have been procured for the 18th Mechanized Division, under an urgent operational requirement.
The memorandum paves the way for our Group, towards knowledge and expertise of Honeywell, in the domain of vehicular and aerospace electronics. As a result of our cooperation, maintenance capacity would be established at our businesses, concerning modern military equipment procured by the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, said Sebastian Chwałek, President of the Management Board at the PGZ Group.
Photo. PGZ
Not only would Honeywell's involvement in cooperation with PGZ in a strategic defence programme enhance the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces, but it would also result in the delivery of technologies, skills, and knowledge for the local defence industry, allowing that industry to deliver modern, NATO-compliant defence solutions, for CEE, and other regions, as Mark Loughran, Honeywell President, Central & Eastern Europe suggested.
Honeywell is making major investments in the aerospace and defence industry in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. John Guasto, Vice President, Defense and Space International, Honeywell Aerospace said that support for customers, such as Poland, bears key relevance here, adding that by continued reinforcement of those key relationships Honeywell is proud to work together with its customers, to develop local know-how, and local support for the aftermarket sales, and efficient implementation of the rendered services.
Photo. PGZ
The memorandum-based joint effort would allow the PGZ Group to handle Honeywell-technology-based systems throughout their lifecycles. Involvement as such would allow the Polish Armed Forces to achieve readiness and availability of the operating platforms at a lower cost, with simultaneous enhancement of the domestically available know-how, in the domain of military equipment propulsion. Thanks to the said cooperation, the engines would be domestically maintained, and this would tangibly shorten the time required to carry out servicing, thus increasing the availability of military equipment to the Polish Armed Forces.
Poland has procured 250 M1A2 SEP v.3 MBTs from the US Government, to meet the urgent operational requirements, and to equip the 18th Mechanized Division The vehicles are powered by AGT1500 gas turbines. They also utilize other components, designed and manufactured by Honeywell. As the release reads, the cooperation would be focused on the delivery of knowledge and technologies that would allow the PGZ Group companies to establish a capacity to provide ongoing maintenance and service for these platforms. The memorandum also covers other areas that utilize solutions based on Honeywell's product portfolio.
Honeywell has been present in Poland for quite some time now. Within the framework of the Rosomak APC offset arrangements, Honeywell engaged in cooperation with the Zielonka-based WZE facility, working on the TALIN INS system, broadly employed by the Polish Armed Forces.