WPB Anders

The WPB Anders (Polish: Wielozadaniowa Platforma Bojowa Anders i.e. Anders Multirole Combat Platform) is a family of medium, tracked combat vehicles. The vehicle was designed by OBRUM ( Polish: Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Urządzeń Mechanicznych – Research and Development Centre for Mechanical Appliances) part of the Bumar Group (now Polish Armaments Group). It is named after Władysław Anders, a general of the Polish Army during World War II and later a member of the Polish government-in-exile.

Anders
Anders light tank demonstrator during MSPO exhibition 2010
Typefighting vehicle
Place of originPoland
Production history
DesignerOBRUM
Designed2008–2011
Specifications
Mass35 t (77,000 lb)
Length6.9 m (22 ft 8 in)
Width3.2 m (10 ft)
Height2.8 m (9 ft 2 in)
Crew3 (Commander, gunner and driver)
Passengers4 (Light Tank) or 8 (IFV)
Main
armament
120mm Ruag CTG cannon or
30 x 173 mm ATK Mk44 Bushmaster II gun
Secondary
armament
co-axial 7.62mm UKM-2000C
12.7mm WKM-B or 40mm GA-40 in remote controlled turret
EngineMTU diesel
720 hp (540 kW)
Power/weight22 hp/tonne
SuspensionTorsion bar suspension
Maximum speed 80 km/h (50 mph)

History
Anders light tank demonstrator on MSPO 2010
Anders light tank prototype on MSPO 2010

The vehicle was designed to replace the Polish Army's remaining inventory of obsolete BWP-1 fighting vehicles family, the first prototype being publicly shown in 2010, at the MSPO Kielce defense industry exhibition. During its first presentation, the vehicle was shown in its fire support configuration (Polish: wóz wsparcia ogniowego), armed with a 120mm tank gun. The media referred to this vehicle as a "light tank". Later, the same vehicle was shown configured as an infantry fighting vehicle (Polish: bojowy wóz piechoty) with a KTO Rosomak Hitfist-30P turret. A more advanced IFV prototype is expected to be shown at the 2011 MSPO Kielce exhibition. Further variants, such as command and control, medical evacuation, combat-engineering and self-propelled anti-aircraft gun are also planned.

Technical details

In its basic configuration the vehicle has a STANAG 4569 protection level of 3 - this can be increased to level 5 with a planned add-on armor system.

Variants
Anders infantry fighting vehicle prototype on MSPO 2011

Developed by OBRUM for Polish Armed Forces as part of the Universal Modular Tracked Platform (UMTP)-family. To the date, OBRUM have been developed infantry fighting vehicle base on Anders chassis, and furthermore developing versions including engineering vehicles, command and control, ammunition wagons and medical vehicles etc.[1]

See also

References
  1. Turnbull, Grant (September 12, 2016). "MSPO 2016: Universal vehicle prototype advances". Shephard Media. Retrieved September 12, 2016.

Further reading
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