Rheinmetall to Play Important Role in New Polish Wheeled Armoured Vehicle

Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) has recently signed a cooperation agreement with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and its subsidiary Obrum for a new amphibious vehicle for the Polish military. Specifically, Rheinmetall and its Polish partners have agreed to develop a state-of-the-art 6x6 wheeled armoured vehicle, oriented to the requirements of the Polish Army’s light armoured reconnaissance vehicle (LOTR) procurement programme, and systematically designed to meet Poland’s – and other nations’ – future military needs. Design and development of the LOTR will take special account of experience gained in current asymmetric conflicts, the first vehicle of its kind to do so. It is slated to replace the Soviet-era BRDM-2 still in service with the Polish Army. Fully amphibious, the LOTR will feature a high level of protection and an excellent payload-to-total weight ratio. With an authorised total weight of up to 20t, the new vehicle will have a carrying capacity of 3.5t, opening up a wide variety of options during reconnaissance missions and other military operations.

Already contemplating the next step, RMMV and PGZ (or rather Obrum) plan to create a sales joint venture, laying the groundwork for marketing the vehicle – and possible derivatives – internationally.