Poland has signed an agreement under which Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 1 in Dęblin will become the official service center for AGT1500 engines powering Abrams tanks.
The “jet heart” of the Abrams tank
The choice of aviation plants to service AGT1500 engines is not accidental, because the solutions used are more associated with planes and helicopters than with armored vehicles. You could even say that Abrams tanks are powered by a small jet enginethanks to which these powerful machines, weighing over 60 tons, have appropriate acceleration and speed.
The AGT1500 engine's turbine also operates much quieter than a classic diesel drive and generates less vibrations; its structure is also so complex that it requires specialized equipment and properly trained technicians for repair and servicing.
Abrams tank on the training groundSenior Sgt. Tomasz Borsuk / zoom.mon.gov.pl
Why is this such an important agreement?
The Polish service center for AGT1500 engines probably does not excite the imagination in the same way as the purchase of new fighters, submarines or other combat structures, but it has extremely important in the context of Polish defense.
The agreement signed today makes us largely independent from the United States, where Abrams engines have been serviced so far. The establishment of such a plant in Poland significantly simplifies the logistics of this type of work, shortening the time and lowering costs. It also automatically increases the real combat readiness of Polish Abrams tanks – without a functioning engine, such a vehicle is virtually useless. We are also talking about supporting the largest fleet of this type of machines in Europe – Poland has purchased over 360 Abrams tanks: 116 in the M1A1FEP version and 250 in the latest M1A2 SEPv3 version.
This type of center, the first in Europe, also means increasing Poland's role in NATOincreasing the capabilities and competences of the Polish arms industry, as well as the possibility of tightening cooperation with the United States, because it is possible that American tanks stationed in Europe will also be serviced in Dęblin.
The Ministry of National Defense adds that the signed contract also means “the transfer of cutting-edge technology” to Poland and corrects the mistake of the previous government, which “did not secure the offset or domestic service capabilities for AGT1500 engines”, which would mean that “repair and technical service of the engines would have to take place overseas and would be very time-consuming.”
