Hits in Polish defense industry

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Fearsome wolverines, crabs and lobsters
by ZBIGNIEW LENTOWICZ
Monday, January 07 2008

Reprinted from Rzeczpospolita, 7.1.2008, Groźne rosomaki, kraby i langusty

More than half out of four billions PLN, set aside for technical modernization of the armed forces, will be spent in 2008 for the equipment manufactured in the Polish plants - including several true technological hits, which could be the envy of the world manufacturers of modern weaponry.

Rosomak - wolverine - is undoubtedly one of the Polish weaponry hits. But there is a little trouble with it. It is manufactured in "Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne" (WZM) (Military Mechanical Plant) in Siemianowice but I has been invented by Finns and this is the Finnish Patria that delivers most of its components to our domestic manufacturer, imported in turn from other renowned suppliers.

Its combat turret is supplied by Italian Oto Melara. - Nevertheless, Rosomak is our product, designed to Polish specifications, assembled at home and more and more equipped with our domestic components - says Andrzej Kiński, an expert on armored weaponry and a chief of the magazine „Nowa Technika Wojskowa“ (New Military Technology). There is a globalization trend in the world's defense industry: the most complex and most modern weapons systems are produced by few major companies, using elements bought all over the world from specialized external sub-suppliers.

Current WZM production problems aside - Rosomak deserves to be rightfully called a hit due to Patria's export successes and virtues of the vehicle, which have been confirmed at war in Afghanistan. So far nobody died during at least four direct attacks on Rosomaks with Polish crews.

Polish eyes of NATO

Half a century of achievements of Polish radiolocation industry and talents of the designers from Warsaw's "Przemysłowy Instytut Telekomunikacji" (PIT) (Industrial Telecommunication Institute) decided that NATO has chosen PIT's radars N12 M for tracking the eastern borders of the Alliance. Mounted on towers - three long distance radars have been integrated with the entire NATO system of its airspace control. The experts say that a true hit is a sophisticated data processing. Our programmers have shown their class here. The radars let the NATO commanders see exactly what happens in the airspace, several hundreds kilometers away from the radiolocation posts.

A soldier using an individual night vision device (NVD) MU-3, from the Warsaw's "Przemysłowe Centrum Optyki" (PCT) (Industrial Optical Center), can see in almost complete darkness several hundreds meters away. Light amplifiers used in this NVD and the technology of their usage are unique - achieved only by few world manufacturers of similar equipment. Our soldiers in Afghanistan use the mini NVDs, which could also be used as rifle aims. Only American elite commando force have the equipment comparable with such capabilities.

An accurate shot in a fraction of a second

Our army is entering into a new dimension of the net-centric command systems based on Internet - used for data collection, analysis and transfer. This is due to Topaz - artillery fire monitoring and control system, from the private company "WB Electronics" at Ożarów, and the newest radiolocators from Radwar.

For example, the modernized middle range radar "Nur 22" (Loon 22), which sees 100 kilometers away, is capable of simultaneous tracking and space positioning of several tens of targets, and also effectively detecting intruders flying just above the ground. The Radwar's kit proposes fire control systems "Blenda", which instantaneously analyze information about enemy's aircrafts, provide data for artillery batteries and allow their commanders to give the fire orders in just few seconds.

"Centrum Techniki Morskiej" (CTM) (Maritime Technology Center) in Gdynia, working in big secrecy, recently submitted a proposal of a "super sensitive protection system of naval bases" to NATO. Designed in CMT a sonar and electromagnetic barrier "Kryl" currently protects Polish Navy base in Gdynia. It is capable of detecting even a single diver within its monitored underwater space.

Definitely another hit will be an anti-torpedo protection system for submarines and surface warships, currently under testing. This system not only detects a threat but it also effectively sets traps on the path of the enemy's missile.


Forty barrels from HSW

Negotiations with MoD for the first serial production, self-propelled gun-howitzer "Krab" (Crab) from Stalowa Wola are still under way, but everything indicates that the army already appreciates the fire power and accuracy of the system that sends a 155 mm missile 40 kilometers away and hits a target with extreme precision of a dozen meters.

Another of its product, a 40-barrel "Langusta" (Lobster) is currently being tested at the proving grounds. Other Polish companies have been cooperating with the HSW engineers in its design. Jelcz has designed a heavy vehicle with off-roads chassis and armored, air-conditioned cabin. Radmor from Gdańsk provides radio-stations, while the internal communication system "Fonet" and the fire control "Topaz" is being integrated by WB Electronics.

- The computer controlled system analyses wind, temperature, pressure and data from radar and air reconnaissance - necessary for a precise shot - explains WBE chairman Piotr Wojciechowski. The new Polish launcher is also adapted to 122 mm rocket missiles "Feniks", from "Fabryka Produkcji Specjalnej" (FBS) (Special Weaponry Factory) in Bolechów.

Thanks to cooperation with French experts on rocket engines from CELERG (today Roxel) the FSB is able to build rockets reaching targets 42 kilometers away.

Translated by Mishka Zubov
 
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