HSW to produce Leopard tank barrels under licence
Polish Leopard MBT pictured in June 2021 during Exercise Dragon 21. (Photo: Polish MoD)
Twenty-year agreement between Rheinmetall and HSW will see the Polish company make L44 cannon components.
Rheinmetall Waffe Munition and HSW have signed an agreement for licenced production of L44 cannon components, including 120mm smoothbore gun barrels for main battle tanks.
The licence agreement lasts for 20 years, HSW parent company PGZ announced in a 21 July statement.
The deal will see HSW produce barrels for the Leopard tank operated by the Polish Armed Forces. There is also the option for the Polish company to join the Rheinmetall supply chain in future.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, Poland received 105 ex-German Leopard 2A5s in 2014-15 with an out-of-service date of 2034.
Poland also plans to upgrade its entire fleet of 142 Leopard 2A4s to the Leopard 2PL standard, with involvement from Rheinmetall and PGZ subsidiary ZM Bumar Labedy.
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