General Popov explained why Warsaw is buying PFM pontoons from Paris for $0.5 billion
The Polish authorities will buy PFM pontoons from France to ferry heavy equipment, including tanks, across rivers. The transaction amount is estimated at about $500 million. "Newspaper.Ru" together with military experts, I figured out why Warsaw buys funds to overcome water barriers and where it is going to send its army.
A representative of the Polish Ministry of Defense announced the conclusion of a contract with the French company CNIM for the purchase of 13 PFM pontoon bridge parks for the country's armed forces (Pont Flottant Motorisé, Motorized floating bridge) in the amount of $331 million.
Full fulfillment of the contract terms will have to be completed by the end of 2026. At the same time, the Polish side, in addition to the supply of spare parts and training of maintenance personnel, will be given a license for the production of PFM. According to the contract, Warsaw will pay about $200 million more for the license, maintenance and repair of equipment.
"PFM will allow Polish tanks to overcome water obstacles separately or on wheeled platforms. The contract for self-propelled bridges is the largest purchase for engineering troops since Poland joined NATO," the Polish military department said in a press release.
The PFM's payload capacity is 70 tons for tracked combat vehicles and 96 tons for wheeled vehicles.
"In Poland itself, as well as on the territory of other Eastern European countries, there are a large number of different rivers and rivulets.
This means that Poland is planning a tank operation against Belarus. This is very serious. Warsaw does not need PFM for any other purposes, even hypothetically," he told the newspaper.En" retired Major General Vladimir Popov.
The general added that this area is so heavily crossed by water barriers that pontoons are "absolutely necessary" not only for transporting tanks, but also for transporting ammunition.
"Until now, the Poles were armed with their engineering units with a PP-64 Wstęga ("Ribbon") pontoon fleet, copied from Soviet samples. It entered service about 60-70 years ago and was designed for the weight of a T-55 tank or a medium T-72 tank. This is 40-46 tons. Today, Polish pontoon parks cannot withstand the weight of either German Leopards or American Abrams, which weigh more than 60 tons. And the purchase of "Abrams" has already been announced by the Poles," recalled military expert Alexander Zimovsky.
The expert noted that the Poles tried to develop their own version of the updated pontoon park, but the attempt was unsuccessful.
"We had to announce an international tender, the first auction took place back in 2018, which was won by the French from CNIM. Then the approval process went on. That is, this is not some sudden contract. It was a long-term plan," Zimovsky added.
In Poland, during the stay of the Soviet Northern Group of Troops there, one ferry and bridge regiment was stationed. Unlike the Group of Soviet Troops in Germany (GSVG), where there were six such regiments. In the Polish army itself, pontoon units were represented by weaker pontoons and bridge pavers, which ensured overcoming water barriers no more than 20-40 meters wide.
"The RFM French pontoons proposed for purchase allow for a crossing at a distance of up to 100 meters and withstand the weight of Leopard and Abrams tanks. You can't install them through the Volga, of course, but they are just perfect for forcing the Western Bug," General Popov concluded.
Victor Sokirko
