During the CMEA period, the Polish automobile industry was considered the second best after the Czechoslovak one. For example: a bought, second-hand "Polonaise" cost a brand new Volga and a lot of money in the USSR. This was the unofficial course. Therefore, in the Polish army today you will not see either ZILs or UAZs (although they were there). Poland also used military vehicles of its own, Czechoslovak production and production of the GDR.
There is no Warsaw Pact for a long time, but Poland has not lost contact with partner countries and continues to operate automotive equipment produced now in the Czech Republic and Germany. So what did Poland produce and produce for the army itself?
Let's go from smallest to largest.
The first one is Honker. This jeep was first produced in socialist Poland under the name "Tarpan" at the agricultural vehicle factory in Poznan. The car belongs to the so-called class of jeeps. The car is larger than our UAZ and in size, more suitable for the Romanian ARO 24, but unlike the latter, it had a more powerful engine initially. Initially produced in two versions (passenger and cargo-passenger). Later, a pickup and a van were added to them. The car has good cross-country ability. The car with a diesel engine was tested in combat conditions in Iraq, where, unlike the Ukrainian UAZ 3151, it did not overheat.
Also its modified version "Scorpion-3" was tested.
In modern Poland, the car was produced at the Daewoo Motor plant in Lublin in small batches. In connection with the liquidation of DM, the initial decision was made to transfer its release to the territory of Ukraine. But the ensuing deep economic crisis of the Ukrainian economy led to the cancellation of the decision on production. Now the car is again produced in Lublin in an amount of no more than two hundred a year. There are also several varieties of Iveco microtrucks that play the role: ambulances, sapper and engineering vehicles. Produced in Kutno.
Our next hero is the Car - STAR 660. Quite an old car (whoever remembers it still stole Electronic from Stump's gang).
But its version in the form of a pontoon bridge and a bridgelayer continues to be used. All-wheel drive. An analogue of our ZIL-157 and its peer (if you count from STAR 66). He moved along the intersection so that the Studebaker US-6 could barely keep up with him.
The most numerous of the trucks in the army is STAR 266. It can be analogous to our ZIL-131, but it has a diesel engine. Like the Russian cousin, he is also in the shadow of his ancestor. The range of applications is also varied. From a simple truck to engineering and technical vehicles.
The car was exported to many countries and took part in hostilities. In the Ground Forces (Wojska Lądowe), he plays the role of a "workhorse". It also has a twin-axle brother with a 4x4 Star 244 wheel arrangement.
Giving general car characteristics on a military site seems to be wrong. Therefore, we will restrict ourselves to general information. From 2000 to 2006 at the STAR TRUCK Sp. For the army, the truck was upgraded to the STAR 266M level with a MAN engine. In total, about 250 vehicles were modernized.
This measure was taken with the aim of unification with the new two-axle AWD model Star 944. In accordance with the new indexing of AWD models, the first number is rounded to indicate the total weight in tons, the second is the total number of wheels, the third is the number of driven wheels.
The Star 944 Hyena mobile firing point also served in Iraq. The lightly armored Star 944R was also developed for combat conditions in Afghanistan.
Star 944 was planned as a replacement for 266, but it turned out to be unable to fulfill all the tasks of its predecessor, so Star 1466 was released. In the army it is used as an aviation tanker, a technician, an ammunition delivery vehicle. Replacement for Star 1444 is expected.
Jelcz cars can be called heavyweights. The 3-axle Jelcz P662 with an Iveco Cursor engine is used not only for its intended purpose, but also as a chassis for heavy weapons and equipment. At the moment these are: MLRS "Langust" anti-ship missiles MSN, minelayer "Melnitsa". Mobile metrology center, artillery reconnaissance station "Livets". In the future, 240-mm MLRS "Omar" and 155-mm howitzer "Krill" will be developed on its basis.
However, the largest is the Jelcz 862. This 4-axle tractor is capable of performing any tasks that are beyond the capabilities of its younger rivals. Also, new air defense and missile defense systems will be mounted on its chassis.
N. B. The article may not be complete. Add-ons are welcome.
