Poland Began Receiving Kleszcz Reconnaissance Vehicles to Replace BRDMs

On October 21, the reconnaissance units of the Polish Armed Forces started receiving the first Kleszcz light armored reconnaissance vehicles.

These deliveries are the result of the implementation of the first agreement from August 2024 and will continue until 2028, with the next batch scheduled to arrive by the end of this year, according to the Polish Army’s website.

The project was launched by a framework agreement signed on February 28, 2024, between the Armaments Agency and AMZ-Kutno SA, which provides for the procurement of a total of 286 vehicles by 2035.

The first contract, worth $205 million, covers the delivery of 28 vehicles along with a package of logistical services, training, and investments in expanding production capacity.

The new armored vehicles are intended to completely replace several hundred obsolete Soviet BRDM-2 armored reconnaissance and patrol vehicles.

Kleszcz

The Kleszcz (Bóbr-3) is a 4×4 amphibious armored vehicle developed between 2013 and 2022 by AMZ-Kutno SA in collaboration with Polish military research institutes.

Weighing 14–16 metric tons, the vehicle is equipped with a 326 k.s. diesel engine and an Allison automatic transmission, allowing it to reach speeds of up to 100 km/h on the highway and 7 km/h on water.

The vehicle’s ballistic protection meets Level 2a of the STANAG 4569 standard (protection against 7.62×39 mm rounds and a 6 kg explosive charge), with the option to install additional armor panels.

The crew consists of five members: a commander, a driver-mechanic, a reconnaissance and communications systems operator, a weapons operator, and an external equipment operator.

The primary armament is the Kongsberg Protector remotely controlled module, capable of mounting a large-caliber machine gun or an automatic grenade launcher.

As a reminder, Poland received a batch of CGR-080 guided missiles and CTM-290 ballistic missiles for the Homar-K multiple launch rocket systems.

The shipment included CGR-080 missiles with a range of up to 80 km, as well as CTM-290 ballistic missiles with a range of up to 290 km.