OBRUM WPB Anders

OBRUM WPB Different Stories

In line with other developments, the Polish Army is experimenting with a modular tracked chassis to perform as many battlefield missions as needed. OBRUM (Osrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Urzadzen Mechanicznych) has been in charge of its development since 2008 and presented the proposed vehicle design in 2010.

At the heart of the WPB Anders family is a medium-range armoured fighting vehicle with adequate armour protection against modern battlefield threats while being able to employ its own anti-armour measures. These vehicles are designed to replace older Soviet-era BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) currently in limited service with the Polish Army. As a homegrown company, WPB Anders will join a growing movement to manufacture Polish military solutions in-house.

The commonality of components within the WPB Anders family will contribute to cost savings and logistics friendliness for the Polish defense budget.

The WPB Anders vehicle line is designed to produce light tanks, armoured personnel carriers and basic armoured vehicles, the latter designed to fill a variety of first and second line roles. The light tank is expected to have a 120mm main gun armament in a specially designed movable turret. In this configuration, the vehicle can counter threats from main battle tanks (MBTs) and other armored vehicles, albeit at the expense of its own armor protection, while providing a cheaper alternative to a full MBT solution. The IFV will be armed with a 30mm automatic cannon in a smaller movable turret with smoke grenade launcher and supported by an onboard machine gun (1 x coaxial mount).

The base model of the armored vehicle (in APC form) would be armed according to specific mission requirements - perhaps the standard machine gun/automatic grenade launcher combination used in similar designs today. The base armored vehicle can then be used in other "unnamed" battlefield roles, such as command vehicles, battlefield ambulances and engineering vehicles.

Mortar transporters, self-propelled air defense systems and self-propelled artillery transporters are being planned.

The basic chassis of the WPB-Anders family is currently built and built as usual. The car is powered by a 720 hp MTU diesel system and can reach a top speed of 80 km/h. The upper part of the track system is protected by a thin armored skirt and will have six twin-tire wheels with a drive sprocket at the front and a chain idler at the rear. The suspension is torsion bar type for excellent off-road driving performance. The rider creates a left front torso position with the power pack to their right.

This frees up the central rear quarter of the vehicle for tower positions and the passenger cabin. The basic crew of all vehicles consists of at least three drivers, commander and gunner, while depending on the production form, additional seats will be provided for loaders and combat-ready infantry. While the sides of the flat hull structure are vertical in the design, the glacis panels are very well sloped to provide a low profile.

The 120mm variant has a smoke vent in the central part of the barrel with a perforated muzzle brake. Additionally, 6 smoke grenade launchers are noted on each rear turret side of this variant.

Additional armor kits will play a major role in the battlefield survivability of the WPB Anders vehicle family.

The WPB Anders project appears to have been abandoned as the Poles are looking for a joint venture with the UK on the PL-01 design.

OBRUM WPB different sizes

Basic

Roles

Dimensions

Performance

Performance

Armor

Depends on variant.

Changes