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The KTO Rosomak (Polish: Kołowy Transporter Opancerzony Rosomak, lit. 'wheeled armored personnel carrier Wolverine') is an 8×8 multi-role military vehicle produced by Rosomak S.A., a Polish Armaments Group company, in Siemianowice Śląskie. The vehicle is a licensed variant of the Finnish Patria AMV.
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
| KTO Rosomak | |
|---|---|
 A KTO Rosomak wheeled APC with a Hitfist-30P turret. | |
| Type | armored personnel carrier |
| Place of origin |  Finland Poland |
| Service history | |
| Used by | See Operators |
| Wars | War in Afghanistan (2001-2021) Russo-Ukrainian War |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 22,000 kg (49,000 lb) |
| Length | 7.7 m (25 ft) |
| Width | 2.8 m (9 ft 2 in) |
| Height | 2.3 m (7 ft 7 in) |
| Crew | 3 (commander, driver, gunner) 8 passengers |
Main armament | 1 × 30×173 mm ATK Mk44 Bushmaster II gun 1 × 12.7 mm WKM-B or 1 × 40mm Mk 19 in Rosomak M3 |
Secondary armament | 1 × 7.62×51mm NATO UKM-2000C coaxial general purpose machine gun |
| Engine | DI 12 Scania diesel or DC 13 Scania diesel 360 kW (480 hp) or 405 kW (543 hp) (DI 12) or 610 hp (450 kW) (DC 13) |
| Power/weight | 15.6 kW/t (21.2 PS/t) (max weight) |
| Suspension | 8×8 wheeled |
Operational range | 800 km (500 mi) |
| Maximum speed | over 100 km/h (60 mph) on land up to 10 km/h (6.2 mph) in water |
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In December 2002, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a contract to buy 690 Patria AMV vehicles, to be manufactured in Poland. The main competitors of the AMV were the MOWAG Piranha and Steyr Pandur. As part of the initial order, 690 vehicles were to be delivered in two basic variants: 313 combat Armoured Personnel Carriers and 377 transport-special base vehicles. In October 2013, the order was increased to 997, for delivery between 2014 and 2019.
The name "Rosomak", Polish for "Wolverine", was chosen following a contest organized by the Nowa Technika Wojskowa magazine. The Rosomak replaced the obsolete OT-64 SKOT Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs) and partially the BMP-1 in service with the Polish Land Forces.[1]
It uses the HGPST GPS receiver, from Hertz Systems.
The first export customer of Patria, AMV & WZM SA has the right to export the KTO Rosomak in some markets. In 2006, the KTO Rosomak was tested in Malaysia.[2] In 2023, Poland began supplying the KTO Rosomak to Ukraine, where it has seen battle.[3]
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Variants in use by Polish military
- Rosomak - infantry fighting vehicle with an Oto Melara Hitfist-30P gun turret armed with a 30 mm ATK Mk 44 chain gun and 7.62mm NATO UKM-2000C machine gun. The turret has advanced fire control systems with thermal sights and an Obra laser warning system connected to six 81 mm 902A ZM Dezamet smoke grenade launchers. A variant modified for war in Afghanistan was called "Rosomak"-M1M, equipped with additional steel-composite armour, upgraded communications, wire cutters in front of driver and commander hatch, video cameras showing the back and sides of vehicle on two LCD screens in troop compartment, and a Pilar system that detects the direction of fire. Because of additional armor, this variant cannot float and has no water propellers. The variant was further upgraded to a standard known as M1M. The most noticeable change was the addition of QinetiQ RPGNet anti-RPG net and new "sand" camouflage. Other changes included installation of Duke anti-IED system and Blue Force Tracking BMS system (systems on loan from the US Army). All older ("green") M1 standard Rosomaks also received RPGNet.
- Rosomak - infantry fighting vehicle with Polish designed ZSSW-30 unmanned turret armed with a 30 mm gun Mk 44S, 7.62 mm UKM-2000C machine gun and two Spike-LR ATGM. 128 were ordered by 2024, and first were delivered in December 2023.[4]
- Rosomak -M2 and M3 - Armoured personnel carrier variant modified for missions in Afghanistan equipped with similar task equipment (including additional armour) to the M1 variant. The main difference is that this variant was equipped with OSS-D open turret with 40 mm Mk-19 grenade launcher or 12.7 mm NSW/WKM-B heavy machine gun.
- Rosomak-S - Armoured personnel carrier variant for two anti-tank teams armed with Spike anti-tank guided missile.
- Rosomak-WEM - (WEM for Wóz Ewakuacji Medycznej – lit. "medical evacuation vehicle") – armoured ambulance vehicle with crew of 3, capable of transporting 3 injured soldiers on stretchers and an additional four in a sitting position. The WEM-M variant for Afghanistan was equipped with additional arymor and RPGNet, as with the M1M variant.
- Rosomak-WRT - (WRT for Wóz Rozpoznania Technicznego – lit. "technical reconnaissance vehicle")
- Rosomak-WSRiD - (WSRiD for Wielosensorowy System Rozpoznania i Dozoru – lit. "multisensory reconnaissance and supervision system")
- Rosomak-AWD - (AWD for Artyleryjski Wóz Dowodzenia – lit. "artillery command vehicle") – Command vehicle for M120K Rak mortar company fire module[5]
- Rosomak-WD - (WD for Wóz Dowodzenia – lit. "command vehicle")[6]
- M120K Rak - 120 mm mortar artillery vehicle, first delivered in July 2017[7]
- Rosomak-NJ - (NJ for Nauka Jazdy – lit. "driving school")
Planned variants
- Rosomak-L - a variant with an extended hull (increasing overall length by 0.6 m from 7.8 m to 8.4 m), while also featuring other improvements such as new Scania DC13 engine, larger fuel tanks, new water-jet propulsion propellers, an upgraded hatch for the driver-mechanic, improved rearview mirrors, and a water deflector shield. Primary design goal of this variant was to increase buoyancy to restore amphibious capabilities compromised by the added weight of the new ZSSW-30 turret. Contracts for 138 units were signed in 2024, with deliveries planned for the 2027-2028 time period.[8][9][10]
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Rosomak-AWD
KTO Rosomak
Rosomak-M2
Rosomak-WEM
Rosomak-WD
Rosomak-WRT
Basic KTO Rosomak
_na_podzwoziu_KTO_Rosomak_modułu_batalionowego_"Rak"_podczas_testów_odbiorczych._Poligon_Nowa_Dęba_2019.jpg)
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- War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
The Polish Land Forces contingent, part of the International Security Assistance Force, operated over 100 KTO Rosomak vehicles, including five medevac versions, during the Afghanistan War. The APCs were equipped with additional steel-composite armor. In early 2008, a Polish Rosomak serving in Afghanistan, the version with upgraded armor, was attacked by the Taliban. The vehicle was hit by RPG-7 rockets, but managed to fire back and returned to base without requiring assistance.[11]
In June 2008, the Taliban attacked a Rosomak with an RPG, hitting it in its frontal armor without penetrating it. In 2009, the first soldier was reported killed while traveling in a Rosomak after an improvised explosive device exploded under the vehicle, which rolled over and crushed the gunner who had been standing in the open turret. Similar attacks had occurred before but had failed to inflict casualties.
- European Union mission in Chad (2007–2008)
- European Union Force Chad/CAR
- Russian Invasion of Ukraine (2022-)
- The Polish government announced in April 2023 it would provide the Ukrainian government with 200 KTO Rosomak. It was reported that the Ukrainian army’s 21st Mechanized Brigade began receiving the first batch of these 25-ton, eight-wheel APCs in July 2023.[12]
- According to Oryx blog, at least 5 such units were destroyed and 1 was damaged during the ongoing Ukraine War.[13]
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Current operators
Failed bids
Slovenia: competition for up to 106 APC with a budget of €700 million after rejecting the contract for the Boxer. The finalists of the competition are the Piranha V, the Freccia, the Rosomak L and the Patria AMVXP.[19] Initially the Rosomak was considered, but issues were experienced with getting the certification for the vehicles' undercarriage. In the end Patria AMVxp was chosen.[20][21]
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Comparable vehicles
- Stryker – (United States, Canada)
- LAV III/LAV AFV/LAV-25/ASLAV – (Australia)
- K808 White Tiger – (South Korea)
- Boxer – (Germany, Netherlands)
- Freccia IFV – (Italy)
- BTR-90 – (Russia)
- CM-32 armoured vehicle – (Taiwan)
- Type 96 armored personnel carrier – (Japan)
- Type 16 maneuver combat vehicle – (Japan)
- Patria AMV – (Finland)
- BTR-4 – (Ukraine)
- Saur 2 – (Romania)
- VBCI – (France)
- FNSS Pars – (Turkey)
- Mowag Piranha – (Switzerland)
- TATA Kestrel – (India)
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