Anders WPB - Design
The Anders WPB prototype is a 32- to 40-ton vehicle, depending on the configuration. The light tank carries a 120mm gun by Swiss group Ruag, and it can carry a crew of three to seven. The Anders was fitted with a 530-kilowatt engine produced by Germany’s MTU Friedrichshafen, which enables a maximum speed capacity of 50 mph. Its turret was equipped with a Trophy active protection system made by Israel’s Rafael.
The presented design was to set up the machine for fire / light tank, equipped with a turret with reduced dimensions, armed with a gun RUAG CTG caliber 120mm of smooth-bore barrel, coupled with the caliber 7.62mm machine gun and heavy machine gun caliber 12.7 mm installed a remotely controlled weapon module "Kobuz."
What is interesting is installed on the vehicle as a model of the Ukrainian system of active defense "Curtains," which may indicate a desire to take a cooperation with the Ukrainian industry armored, who although suffering from a lack of adequate funding, it inherited a wealth of experience, traditions and technological base of the USSR.
WPB Anders being the only technology demonstrator, looked to have great possibilities of Polish technical thought, because although it is made of 100% of the components designed and manufactured in Poland, it realizes the possibility of integration of national solutions with solutions abroad and by the possibility of further development.
As the name implies, the PDB Anders can be built in different configurations, the version of the car fire support / light tank, infantry fighting vehicle through the other types of armored fighting vehicles with caterpillar traction. This modular design of the vehicle is mainly to reduce the costs of designing, manufacturing and operation, which is important both for the Polish state and its armed forces. The idea, moreover, is not new and was implemented (but without much success) and is implemented in many countries.
Poland, unfortunately, probably does not have a clear vision of how such a construction would even look like they have design features and what tasks to perform good cause. There were ideas that should version of the car fire support / light tank to replace the tanks basic, which met with legitimate criticism, taking into account the tasks to be undertaken this type of constructions, the risks with which the need to measure and cover ballistic we have to ensure that their crews adequate survival on the battlefield and thus be able to fulfill the sentence imposed against them.
WPB Anders in this respect is a platform that is too light, too poorly protected (to be clear, however, one must take into account the fact that it is still a technology demonstrator, the final product may be completely different, you may not even have anything to do with Anders). Which of course does not mean its uselessness, on the contrary, the Polish Army for many years struggling with finding a successor worn-out armored infantry fighting vehicle BWP-1 Soviet design, which absolutely does not meet any of the requirements of this class.
As for the critical voices, Marian Moraczewski wrote: "About to take this theme by OBRUM I associate with a situation when the police, involving the great powers and resources, intends to break the door, which had long since open. Then the police admits that it was a mistake, and the cost to taxpayers. I'm afraid that a similar fate awaits the OBRUM-ish project light tank on a universal platform for a family of armored vehicles. But such structures exist, are produced, used, tested and available for the Polish defense industry to coproduction promising profits. OBRUM should focus on adapting the production and maximum polonization appropriate system, not to make the work of inventing the wheel. The question is, what is the point of spending money, especially in times of crisis, on a project that does not have a commercial perspective, it is not necessary because of the military situation and, finally, there is no appropriate potentials to its implementation?"
In the next part of his article the author writes: "It's not about light tank, but the tank on the base (MBT Main Battle Tank) With a reduced weight.
Previously, "Gazeta Wyborcza" and "Army" in the March issue of Lutowo-zamiescily information that Gliwice OBRUM working on a Polish tank light and versatile platform. The information that comes to light tank is probably the proverbial mental shortcut because it does not seem to make light tank was needed to the Polish Army. Such a measure to combat a number of technical and tactical reasons, now is not useful on the battlefield."
These fears are not unfounded, the author once again bring up here such as Future Combat Systems program, in which case, developed a platform battle, proved to be too light, too poorly armored which in turn could have a very low survival rate of the platform itself and the crew.
Nevertheless, it seemed that the author was a little too critical, because it is difficult to judge the final result of the program, on the basis of merely presented technology demonstrator, whose sole purpose is to present the possibilities and gain some initial experience.
At this point, again there is a dilemma, what to choose? Is finished products overseas, a license for their production and possibly the deepest Polonization or take to develop such a platform in the country. Perhaps there is yet a fourth way, it is the purchase of licenses for components such as drive, the main armament and the like, which develop in Poland may be too costly and risky, while the remaining components and the shell of the vehicle could be developed in the country.
This may be advantageous, not only because reduces the cost and risk, but at the same time allows to get tested components, yet still with at least of image point of view, the product "Polish" and thus becomes the market news that can be attractive to potential foreign buyers to keep fighting.
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