The agreement aims to establish a domestic industrial capacity for the logistical support of Abrams tanks within the Land Forces. This will ensure the operational efficiency and combat readiness of the American-made tanks in Polish service.
Training of the first WZM employees is set to begin in early June. This initiative is part of the broader effort to enhance Poland’s capacity to maintain and support its Abrams fleet.
Poland purchased a total of 366 Abrams tanks from the United States. The acquisition includes 250 of the latest M1A2 SEPv3 models and 116 used M1A1 FEP tanks. The purchase of new tanks took place in April 2022, while the used ones were acquired in January 2023.
The strategic partnership with GDLS addresses a gap in operational support, which remained unresolved for two to three years after the initial orders. Establishing local support capabilities is seen as a crucial step towards maintaining the tanks’ readiness.
In a related development, WZM signed a licensing agreement with BAE Systems in April. The agreement involves the transfer of technology for maintaining the M88A2 technical support vehicles and the establishment of a Regional Competence Centre.
This centre will serve both the Polish Army and the US Army stationed in Europe. The Polish Ministry of National Defence also ordered 38 M88A2 support vehicles to accompany the two batches of Abrams tanks.
