2023 in the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A.

2023 has been yet another year of intense effort for our plant. Thanks to the commitment and persistent work of the management and staff, the company yielded revenues in the range of PLN 250-300 million net for another consecutive year.

This remarkable success is attributed to the timely execution of contracts with the Ordering Party (the organisational units of the Ministry of Defence), which in 2023 included verifications, technical inspections and restorations to full operational condition of Leopard 2A5 and Leopard 2A4 tanks, overhaul with modification of T-72 tanks, overhauls of BWP-1/1D infantry fighting vehicles, modifications and overhauls of BWR-1D/1S reconnaissance vehicles.

It should be emphasised that, sadly, the capacity of the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. has not been fully utilised.

Equally noteworthy is the fact that the company has met all the contractual deadlines, consolidating its position as a reliable and trustworthy partner, while enjoying very high ratings from the crews and users of the military equipment handed over in 2023.

The company actively participates in modernisation programmes conducted by the Ministry of Defence and purchases new equipment and armaments, seeing them as an opportunity for its development in the years to come. Throughout the year, representatives of the company, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence and the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. /Polish Armament Group, have held advanced talks with foreign partners on the broadly defined maintenance of the Abrams and K2 tanks for the Armed Forces.

On 31 March 2023, an agreement was signed to form a consortium of the Polish Armament Group together with the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. and South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem Company to offer the K2PL tanks and associated equipment to the Polish Army. The signing took place in the presence of Mariusz Błaszczak, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, at the Land Forces Training Centre in Bemowo Piskie.

On 26 June, at the headquarters of the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. in Poznań, a Teaming Agreement was concluded between General Dynamics Land Systems, the US Abrams tank manufacturer, and the Polish Armaments Group. The start of the process of creating the Abrams Regional Competence Centre in the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. acting as a leader was announced. The process of creating the Centre will involve US corporations and companies belonging to the Polish Armament Group which are to be included in the supply chain of the US manufacturers. The aim of the cooperation is to secure the logistical needs of the US equipment in use, in the first stage for the Polish Armed Forces, and in the future for the US Armed Forces stationed in Poland, Central and Eastern Europe, and other European countries.

On 12 September, the first contract was concluded between the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A. and the General Dynamics Land Systems, the Abrams tank manufacturer, for securing the storage of the first phase of de-processing of the 116 M1A1 FEP tanks acquired by the Polish Armed Forces. The infrastructure and the management systems have been prepared to supervise the work on the tanks. The warehouses have been prepared as expected and are ready to receive spare parts. On 11 December this year, the first units of the tanks were delivered to the Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A., marking the next step in building capacity.

The company’s intention is to fully participate in the process of manufacturing, and technically securing the operation of vehicles newly introduced to the Polish Armed Forces throughout their life cycle.