Rheinmetall deepens its ties with Poland 70609161

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MSPO 2016
Official Foreign Online Show Daily News and Official Web TV
International Defense Industry Exhibition & conference
6 - 9 September 2016
Kielce , Poland
 
MSPO 2016 - Rheinmetall
 
 
Rheinmetall deepens its ties with Poland
Last month, Rheinmetall founded a new company in order to strengthen the Group’s presence in Eastern Central Europe: Rheinmetall Defence Polska. A subsidiary of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH with locations in Warsaw and Gliwice, Rheinmetall Defence Polska will serve as a partner to the local defence industry.
     
 
Leopard 2 at the MSPO Defense Exhibition
     
The new subsidiary will work closely with the company Zaklady Mechaniczne Bumar-Labedy S.A. (ZMBL) in modernizing Poland’s fleet of Leopard 2 A4 main battle tanks, supplying its Polish partner with optimum support. Furthermore – in line with the Group’s one-face-to-the-customer philosophy – Rheinmetall Defence Polska serves as the Polish hub for all Rheinmetall Defence companies, acting as the central point of contact for the Polish government and military as well as Polish companies. This will assure optimum, efficient communication between Poland and the companies that make up Rheinmetall Defence.

Otmar Schultheis has been appointed Managing Director Rheinmetall Defence Polska. A former Bundeswehr Armour Corps officer, he has been with Rheinmetall for over thirty years, gaining extensive experience in sales and project management in numerous national and international projects. Dr Michael Kara, managing director of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and CFO of the Tactical Vehicles business unit, will head the regional hub.

Moreover, visitors to MSPO 2016 can find out more about Rheinmetall’s unsurpassed expertise in all facets of the Leopard 2 family. This derives from the comprehensive technical knowledge and experience gained from being an original equipment manufacturer and the extensive maintenance and modernization programmes it has carried out – to say nothing of the Group’s advanced tank main armament concepts. Training and simulation solutions for Leopard 2 crews also feature prominently in Rheinmetall’s portfolio of products and services.

The Group’s first NATO customer for a Leopard 2 upgrade programme, Poland has contracted with Rheinmetall to carry out a complete modernization of 128 Leopard 2 MBTs. In an industrial consortium with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and ZMBL, Rheinmetall now serves as a strategic partner of the two Polish companies, contributing key technological know-how in areas such as electronics and advanced weaponry.

During the course of modernization, the 128 Leopard 2 A4 tanks – purchased by the Polish Army from surplus Bundeswehr stocks in 2002 – will be upgraded to the new Leopard 2 PL standard. Visitors to the PGZ Group stand at MSPO 2016 can inspect a demonstrator version of the Leopard 2 as well as a Bergepanzer 3 Büffel (‘buffalo’) armoured recovery vehicle, which Rheinmetall supplies as the original equipment manufacturer.

With the Armoured Multi Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) – a product of an industrial consortium – in its portfolio, Rheinmetall offers a compact, highly mobile, superbly protected, extremely versatile vehicle that can be deployed virtually anywhere. At this year’s MSPO, Rheinmetall MAN Military Vehicles (RMMV) is showcasing the PEGAZ version of the AMPV. Configured to meet the specifications of the Polish armed forces, this variant is the perfect solution for special operations forces as well as conventional units.

The AMPV PEGAZ is an outstanding example of Rheinmetall’s expertise in protection, sensor, and command and control systems – and of its ability to integrate these into robust tactical vehicles. Rheinmetall’s Acoustic Shooter Location System (ASLS) and Laser Warning System (LWS) enable 360°detection of multiple threats. Moreover, the Group’s Enhanced Driver Vision System (EDVS), which features day and night vision cameras (image fusion is possible), can be added either as an independent system or as part of the Situational Awareness System (SAS). EDVS improves the vehicle’s mobility both day and night, rendering driving with night vision goggles obsolete. The AMPV PEGAZ on display at MSPO 2016 features ASLS, LWS and EDVS.