KTO Rosomak
Encyclopedia
The KTO Rosomak is 8x8 multi-role military vehicle produced by WZM S.A. (Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne Spółka Akcyjna w Siemianowicach Śląskich - lit. Military Mechanical Works Joint Stock Company in Siemianowice Śląskie
). The vehicle is a licensed variant of Patria's Armored Modular Vehicle.
and Steyr Pandur
. The Polish version features major changes from the original Patria AMV, such as the ability to be transported by C-130 Hercules
or to swim through water obstacles. As part of the initial order of 690 vehicles (later increased to 895) will be delivered in two basic variants:
Additional 205 vehicles in an unspecified variant will be ordered in the 2014-2018 time frame (after the original order is completed).
The name Rosomak (Polish for Wolverine) was chosen following a contest organized by the Nowa Technika Wojskowa magazine. The Rosomak will replace obsolete OT-64 SKOT
APCs and partially the BWP-1 IFV currently in service with Polish Land Forces
.
variant with to Oto Melara
Hitfist-30P gun turret
armed with 30mm ATK Mk 44 chain gun
and 7.62mm NATO
UKM-2000C
machine gun
. The turret has advanced fire control system with thermal sight and Obra laser warning system connected to six 81 mm 902A ZM Dezamet smoke grenade launcher
s.
variant modified for war in Afghanistan equipped with additional steel-composite armor, upgraded communications, wire cutters in front of driver and commander hatch, video cameras showing back and sides of vehicle on two LCD screens in troop compartment, Pilar system that detects the direction of fire. Because of additional armor this variant cannot float and has no water propellers. This variant was further upgraded to standard known as M1M. Most noticeable change is addition of QinetiQ RPGNet anit RPG net and new "sand" camouflage. Other changes include installation of Duke anti IED system and Blue Force Tracking BMS system (systems on loan from US Army). All older ("green") Rosomaks in M1 standard also received RPG Net.
equipped with similar task equipment (including additional armor) as M1 variant. The main difference is that this variant is equipped with OSS-D open turret with 40 mm Mk-19
grenade launcher or 12.7 mmNSV heavy machine gun
.
anti-tank guided missile
.
War in Afghanistan (2001–present):
European Union mission in Chad (2007–2008)
Units equipped with KTO Rosomak:
Siemianowice Slaskie
Siemianowice Śląskie aka Siemianowice ; is a city in Upper Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions...
). The vehicle is a licensed variant of Patria's Armored Modular Vehicle.
History
In December 2002, the Polish Ministry of Defense signed a contract to buy 690 Patria AMV vehicles, to be manufactured in Poland. The main competitors of the AMV were the MOWAG PiranhaMowag Piranha
The MOWAG Piranha is a family of armoured fighting vehicles designed by the Swiss MOWAG , corporation....
and Steyr Pandur
Pandur 8X8 APC
The Pandur II 8x8 is an improved modular all-wheel-drive version of the Pandur 6x6 APC wheeled armoured vehicle. It was developed as a private venture by the Austrian company Steyr-Daimler-Puch Spezialfahrzeuge and is currently in production for the Portuguese Armed Forces...
. The Polish version features major changes from the original Patria AMV, such as the ability to be transported by C-130 Hercules
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built originally by Lockheed, now Lockheed Martin. Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designed as a troop, medical evacuation, and cargo transport...
or to swim through water obstacles. As part of the initial order of 690 vehicles (later increased to 895) will be delivered in two basic variants:
- 313 combat vehicles armed with a 30mm gun turret, later on the number of vehicles for this variant was increased by 3;
- 377 base line vehicles used as a base for other variants.
Additional 205 vehicles in an unspecified variant will be ordered in the 2014-2018 time frame (after the original order is completed).
The name Rosomak (Polish for Wolverine) was chosen following a contest organized by the Nowa Technika Wojskowa magazine. The Rosomak will replace obsolete OT-64 SKOT
OT-64 SKOT
The OT-64 SKOT is an amphibious armored personnel carrier , developed jointly by Poland and Czechoslovakia well into the 1960s.-History:OT-64 was intended to replace the halftrack OT-810, which was nearly...
APCs and partially the BWP-1 IFV currently in service with Polish Land Forces
Polish Land Forces
The Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
.
KTO Rosomak
Infantry fighting vehicleInfantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
variant with to Oto Melara
Oto Melara
Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
Hitfist-30P gun turret
Gun turret
A gun turret is a weapon mount that protects the crew or mechanism of a projectile-firing weapon and at the same time lets the weapon be aimed and fired in many directions.The turret is also a rotating weapon platform...
armed with 30mm ATK Mk 44 chain gun
Chain gun
A chain gun is a type of machine gun or autocannon that uses an external source of power, rather than diverting energy from the cartridge, to cycle the weapon, and does so via a continuous loop of chain similar to that used on a motorcycle or bicycle. "Chain gun" is a registered trademark of...
and 7.62mm NATO
Cartridge (firearms)
A cartridge, also called a round, packages the bullet, gunpowder and primer into a single metallic case precisely made to fit the firing chamber of a firearm. The primer is a small charge of impact-sensitive chemical that may be located at the center of the case head or at its rim . Electrically...
UKM-2000C
UKM-2000
The Zakłady Mechaniczne "Tarnów" UKM-2000 is a 7.62x51 mm NATO general-purpose machine gun designed in Tarnów, Poland.-Development:On March 12, 1999 Poland joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation. A problem arose with modifying the weapons of the Polish Army to use the standard NATO...
machine gun
Machine gun
A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
. The turret has advanced fire control system with thermal sight and Obra laser warning system connected to six 81 mm 902A ZM Dezamet smoke grenade launcher
Grenade launcher
A grenade launcher or grenade discharger is a weapon that launches a grenade with more accuracy, higher velocity, and to greater distances than a soldier could throw it by hand....
s.
KTO Rosomak-M1M
Infantry fighting vehicleInfantry fighting vehicle
An infantry fighting vehicle , also known as a mechanized infantry combat vehicle , is a type of armoured fighting vehicle used to carry infantry into battle and provide fire support for them...
variant modified for war in Afghanistan equipped with additional steel-composite armor, upgraded communications, wire cutters in front of driver and commander hatch, video cameras showing back and sides of vehicle on two LCD screens in troop compartment, Pilar system that detects the direction of fire. Because of additional armor this variant cannot float and has no water propellers. This variant was further upgraded to standard known as M1M. Most noticeable change is addition of QinetiQ RPGNet anit RPG net and new "sand" camouflage. Other changes include installation of Duke anti IED system and Blue Force Tracking BMS system (systems on loan from US Army). All older ("green") Rosomaks in M1 standard also received RPG Net.
KTO Rosomak-M3
Armored personnel carrier variant modified for mission in AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
equipped with similar task equipment (including additional armor) as M1 variant. The main difference is that this variant is equipped with OSS-D open turret with 40 mm Mk-19
Mk 19 grenade launcher
The Mk 19 Grenade Launcher is a 40 mm belt-fed automatic grenade launcher or grenade machine gun that entered U.S. military service during the Cold War, first seeing action during the Vietnam War and remaining in service today.-Overview:...
grenade launcher or 12.7 mmNSV heavy machine gun
Heavy machine gun
The heavy machine gun or HMG is a larger class of machine gun generally recognized to refer to two separate stages of machine gun development. The term was originally used to refer to the early generation of machine guns which came into widespread use in World War I...
.
KTO Rosomak-WEM
(WEM for Wóz Ewakuacji Medycznej – lit. Medical Evacuation Vehicle) - armored ambulance vehicle with crew of 3, capable of transporting 3 injured soldiers on stretchers and an additional four in sitting position. The WEM-M variant for Afghanistan was equipped with additional armor and RPGNet same as in M1M variant.KTO Rosomak-S
Armored personnel carrier variant for two anti-tank teams armed with SpikeSpike (missile)
Spike is a fourth generation man-portable fire-and-forget anti-tank guided missile with tandem-charged HEAT warhead, developed and designed by the Israeli company Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and in service with a number of nations....
anti-tank guided missile
Anti-tank guided missile
An anti-tank missile , anti-tank guided missile , anti-tank guided weapon or anti-armor guided weapon is a guided missile primarily designed to hit and destroy heavily-armored military vehicles....
.
KTO Rosomak-WD
(WD for Wóz Dowodzenia – lit. Command Vehicle) - command vehicle for battalion commander. Demo vehicle prepared by WB Electronics was shown in late 2008 r.KTO Rosomak-Łowcza
Air defence command vehicle equipped with Łowcza system. Similar to ZWD-10R Łowcza-3.Combat history
- The Polish Land ForcesPolish Land ForcesThe Polish Land Forces are a branch of Poland's Armed Forces. They currently contain some 65,000 active personnel and form many components of EU and NATO deployments around the world.-History:...
contingent, which is a part of the International Security Assistance ForceInternational Security Assistance ForceThe International Security Assistance Force is a NATO-led security mission in Afghanistan established by the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2001 by Resolution 1386 as envisaged by the Bonn Agreement...
are now operating at place over 100 KTO Rosomak vehicles (including 5 medivac) in AfghanistanWar in Afghanistan (2001–present)The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
. The APC's were equipped with additional steel-composite armor. In early 2008 a Polish Rosomak serving in Afghanistan (the version with upgraded armor) was attacked by Taliban rebels. The vehicle was hit two times with a RPG-7RPG-7The RPG-7 is a widely-produced, portable, unguided, shoulder-launched, anti-tank rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Originally the RPG-7 and its predecessor, the RPG-2, were designed by the Soviet Union, and now manufactured by the Bazalt company...
rocket but it managed to fire back and returned to base without any help required. In June 2008 a Rosomak was attacked by Taliban and was hit in its frontal armor with a RPG. The armour was not penetrated. - Since October 2010 a platoon, consisting of Svarun vehicles, has been sent to Afghanistan to support the SloveniaSloveniaSlovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n OMLT.
European Union mission in Chad (2007–2008)
- European Union Force Chad/CAREUFOR Tchad/RCAEuropean Union Force Chad/CAR, also EUFOR Tchad/RCA after the French, was the European Union mission in Chad and the Central African Republic , authorized in late 2007. EUFOR Chad/CAR was authorized under the same United Nations Security Council resolution that mandated MINURCAT, a UN force tasked...
Operators
Poland is the sole user of KTO Rosomak but as the first export customer of Patria AMV WZM S.A has a right to sell KTO Rosomak on export in some markets. In 2006 KTO Rosomak was tested in Malaysia.Units equipped with KTO Rosomak:
- 12 Brygada Zmechanizowana (12th Mechanized Brigade - crews of IIIrd turn in Afghanistan are from this unit) - SzczecinSzczecinSzczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
(second user) - 17 Wielkopolska Brygada Zmechanizowana (17th Mechanized Brigade) - MiędzyrzeczMiedzyrzeczMiędzyrzecz is a town in western Poland with 18,584 inhabitants . The capital of Międzyrzecz County, it was part of the Gorzów Wielkopolski Voivodeship from 1975–1998. Since the Local Government Reorganization Act of 1998, Międzyrzecz has been situated in the Lubusz Voivodeship...
(first user, vehicles and crews for first and second turn in Afghanistan and Chad are from this unit)