BAE Systems has partnered with PGZ Capital Group to secure the state-owned company’s role in supporting the Polish Armed Forces’ new M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System (HERCULES) vehicles.
The agreement, which involves PGZ’s subsidiary Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne, provides the utility of BAE Systems’ intellectual property to assist the Poznań-based firm in sustainment, repair, and overhaul tasks for the M88A2’s fleet readiness.
The terms of the project are expected to be maintaining Warsaw’s capabilities in facilitating recovery and repair activities on the battlefield.
“This relationship enables the timely sustainment of critical recovery vehicles, supporting the Polish government’s efforts to strengthen its defense industrial base and promote local economies,” BAE Systems Sustainment & International Programs VP Dean Medland stated.
“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.”
Supporting the Abrams
The deal follows BAE’s signing of a 2022 contract to supply the Polish army with M88s and related combat vehicles.
The M88 fleet, expected to comprise around 26 tanks, will complement the military’s existing Abrams main battle tanks bought from the US.
By 2026, Poland plans to employ 250 Abrams in its latest M1A2 configuration and approximately 116 refurbished tanks in the M1A1 variant.
The M88A2 HERCULES
BAE Systems’ HERCULES measures 9 meters (30 feet) in length and weighs 63,500 kilograms (139,993 pounds).
It is designed with an overlay armor, ballistic skirts, and nuclear, biological, and chemical protection.
For recovery, the platform has a 35-tones (77,000-pound) boom, a 70-tonnes (154,000-pound) constant pull main winch with 280-foot (85-meter) cable, and a 3-tonnes (6,600-pound) auxiliary winch.
The vehicle is powered by a 1,050 horsepower engine and has the capacity for up to seven personnel.
The system has a range of 480 kilometers (298 miles) and a top speed of 50 kilometers (31 miles) per hour.
