BAE Systems and WZM sign to support Poland’s M88A2s

Above: M88A2s in Poland.
Courtesy BAE Systems

BAE Systems has entered into an agreement with Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. (WZM), a member of PGZ Capital Group and a premier Polish defense company specialising in the sustainment of tracked armoured vehicles, to enhance the support of the Polish Land Forces’ M88 Armored Recovery Vehicle fleet operational readiness.

The agreement ensures the Polish defense industry will play a critical role in supporting the Polish military with their newly acquired equipment.
 
Under the terms of the arrangement, WZM will use BAE Systems’ intellectual property to perform maintenance, repair, and overhaul operations, ensuring that the Polish Land Forces’ M88s are fully operational and able to conduct battlefield recovery and repair activities.
 
“This relationship enables the timely sustainment of critical recovery vehicles, supporting the Polish government’s efforts to strengthen its defence industrial base and promote local economies,” said Dean Medland, vice president of Sustainment & International programmes at BAE Systems. “We understand the importance of working together with local industry in allied nations. This is an exciting example of how we can create a more responsive regional support network in addition to the critical manufacturing base in the United States.”
 
BAE Systems is working with the Polish Land Forces to provide unified recovery capabilities that can recover all armoured vehicles in the Polish Army’s fleet. With enhanced horsepower and upgraded armour protection, including armoured track skirts and armour panels, the M88A2 can manoeuvre and extract a 70-ton stranded vehicle – and its crew – to safety. It is built and equipped as a recovery vehicle capable of recovering the M1 Abrams tank.