PONAR: Polish Hydraulics for the Polish Armed Forces

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Jakub Palowski: After the full-scale aggression of Ukraine, defence spending increased, especially in Poland. The technical modernization processes in the Polish Armed Forces were accelerated as well. Do you also see growth opportunities for PONAR in these processes?

Rafał Worek, Vice President of the Management Board, PONAR Wadowice S.A: We have been a part of processes tied to the modernization of the Polish Armed Forces for years now. That refers to programmes that have started a couple of years back and are in their final stages now. New projects are constantly emerging as well. We see a huge opportunity for us. We are the biggest manufacturer of hydraulics in Poland. And the only manufacturer that works comprehensively, from design to execution.

Our business has 60 years of experience, and we operate in all markets, from mining to aerospace. The defence industry is also placed within the scope of our business. As I said already, we have been a part of military projects for many years now. Until recently, however, this took place on a smaller scale, as these projects were mainly based on foreign solutions; previously there had been no modernization of the Polish military on such a scale. Today, we are the main supplier of very modern hydraulics for the arms market in Poland.

Which modernization programmes are most relevant to Ponar?

We have finalized the qualification process for the „Borsuk” project. According to the framework agreement signed last year involving more than a thousand units, it will be the largest project in the Polish industry.

We launched manufacturing of solutions for the Krab self-propelled gun-howitzer a few years back already - currently, the platform is being manufactured by HSW. It is said that Krab will also undergo modernization. If that indeed happens, we will be a part of that process. Tests and qualification of the command vehicle in the OPAL programme have also come to an end. We are also involved in several other projects, such as the Warta, Bystra, Poprad and P-18PL undertakings. These programmes are of great importance to us and give us manufacturing opportunities for at least a dozen more years.

Which Ponar’s capabilities make the company a preferable partner for the Polish Defence industry?

Above all, we are an engineering and manufacturing business. As we manufacture products for all industries, our know-how and portfolio allow us to take the best solutions from the civilian market and implement them in the defence market.

However, I would like to emphasize that we do not adapt our existing products to the needs of the defence market, but tailor them, prepare them from scratch - for a specific solution, or product, and at the same time make use of the expertise and design and production capabilities we have acquired while operating in the civilian market. This refers to specialized, customized products, based on the most modern hydraulics available on the market.

What meaning does the Borsuk programme have, from Ponar’s standpoint? How do you perceive the long-term development prospects for the Borsuk IFV’s hydropneumatic suspension unit?

Our participation in the Borsuk programme is, in a sense, a result of Krab self-propelled howitzer’s polonization. We manufacture and deliver a complete suspension system for the Krab howitzer. In the Borsuk IFV project, we have designed a completely Polish hydropneumatic suspension unit, tailored to the Borsuk IFV. It has been successfully tested. We are awaiting further decisions right now.

It is worth stressing that essentially, this is the first modern hydropneumatic suspension unit designed and manufactured in Poland.

We have also launched work on the development of active suspension that automatically adjusts its setting to the current road conditions. This greatly enhances the comfort of the military user.

What about the remaining projects? You have mentioned the OPAL project. In the first versions, these had legacy solutions, but a more modern suspension has been implemented there, within the framework of modernization.

The Opal project, and the hydropneumatic solutions within that project, are identical to the ones used in the Borsuk project. The earlier command vehicle solution was based on a post-Soviet design, incorporating torsion bars. The technology there dates back to the 20th century and does not offer full comfort; it entails numerous technical limitations, but also usability limitations.

The hydropneumatic solution in the WDSZ/WD command vehicle primarily improves the suspension’s operation in difficult terrain, but also significantly increases comfort for users.

Currently, the Ministry of Defence has been making very large procurements abroad - in the United States and the Republic of Korea - from 2022 onwards. On this occasion, there is also a lot of talk about industrial cooperation and the inclusion of Polish suppliers in the supply chain. Does Ponar face an opportunity to work with American and Korean manufacturers, as it happened in the case of Krab?

We are ready to work with companies supplying equipment from the US and Korea. Not only can we localize the suspension, but we can deal with all of the hydraulics. We are prepared to do that.

I think that the solutions that are already being implemented by Polish manufacturers prove that we have the relevant know-how, capabilities and, above all, our own experience. This stems from the fact that we initiated the first work on chassis almost 7 years ago - now we are manufacturing the equipment, hence the accumulation of experience. We remain the sole Polish entity that can lab test these solutions.

With the cooperation with the USA and Korea, can you also think about going into other markets in Europe? And are you able to increase production in response to the increase in the scale of orders from the Ministry of Defence?

Ponar Wadowice has the most modern machinery available on the market today, so we are ready for such cooperation and to enter the foreign market. Of course, we are ready to receive potential domestic orders as well. We have already received some of the previously ordered machinery that has been set up and launched already - it is involved in ongoing manufacturing.

We are finalizing the restoration of the manufacturing area, allowing us to set up further machinery. Let me add, that we are at the final stage of design and we are waiting for building permits to erect extra production halls. As planned, next spring we should have an additional few thousand square metres dedicated to the production of our hydraulic components and systems.

What makes Ponar’s hydraulic solutions stand out from the market offer?

First and foremost, our engineering competence. We have more than 100 engineers who work for all industries. We use the best solutions from the mining industry, and heavy industry and combine applications between different customers and different industries.

Another issue is the speed of response to the needs of the user, the customer. We are a Polish supplier, focused on supplying the end user. Our main advantage is that not only do we replicate products and manufacture them, but we also do design, and can do the work that is usually done by the client, as part of the design process. If the client defines a problem, we can look for a solution, design it, prototype it and also test it.

If the prototype proves to be successful, we will launch series manufacturing. We are a one-stop shop, from design to equipment testing, to series production, doing work for a wide range of industries.

Which technical solution in your product portfolio do you consider to be the most forward-looking?

Observing the defence industry, we want to develop primarily active suspension units. We are committed to developing, designing and manufacturing levelling systems on proportional hydraulics and specially engineered actuators. This sets us apart because we have a comprehensive range of different types of levelling systems at hand. We also see that in the future there will be opportunities to apply military-grade solutions in civilian industrial applications. This is already happening in some applications, with solutions designed for the defence industry finding their counterparts in the civilian industry.

Thank you for this conversation.

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