Sabot Rounds for the Polish Leopard Tanks–Mesko Company Clarifies

Referring to the article in “Dziennik Gazeta Prawna” daily, which questioned the penetration capabilities of the new ammunition, especially within the scope of destroying new tanks used by the Russian Army, Mesko published a statement according to which the ammunition meets the “highest quality requirements of the contemporary battlefield”. 

According to Mesko, the new component of ordnance has been developed by “the best scientists and experts in the field” from the Military Technical Institute of Armament, Poznan University of Technology and Mesko SA Group. 

Director of the Board of the Mesko SA company, Waldemar Skowron, additionally stated that the projectiles, using the “patented segmented penetrator, which is resistant to the bending loads present during an angled penetration of the armour”, are to be used for destroying heavily armoured targets, including tanks, at distances up to 2,5 km. 

Mesko SA claims that parameters of the projectiles make them capable of penetrating the armour or “rendering heavy vehicles totally incapable by creating a huge shock-wave which destroys the electronics and kills or permanently eliminates the tank crew”. Waldemar Skowron also noted that the ammunition went through the tests achieving positive results at the end of the testing programme. Mesko states that if the ammo did not meet the requirements, the contract “would not have been signed” 

The company also stated that the detailed parameters of the sabot rounds “remain confidential due to the security reasons”. It has been claimed that the rounds are of “top quality” and “meet the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces”. It has been also noted that they may be manufactured in Poland, as a part of works on the national security system. 

Agreement related to procurement of the sabot rounds for the Polish Leopard 2 tanks has been signed on Wednesday, 12th November 2015. On the basis of this contract 13 000 rounds are to be supplied for Leopard 2A4 and 2A5 tanks. The deliveries are planned to happen between 2015 and 2017, while the value of the deal is as much as 240 million zlotys.