PT-91M MBT, WZT-4 Armoured, MID-M Armoured and PMC-90 Armoured Malaysia Army

Bumar, whose subsidiary companies are responsible for the Kobra system, have become a significant player in the Asian defence marketplace in recent years. In March 2002 it was announced that Bumar Labedy, the armoured vehicle manufacturing subsidiary of the Bumar Group, had been awarded a $368 million contract by the Malaysian government to supply 48 PT-91M tanks, six WZT-4 armoured recovery vehicles, three MID-M armoured engineer vehicles and five PMC-90 armoured bridgelayers with the KMW Leguan bridge to the Malaysian Army.

The PT-91M tank supplied to Malaysia is based on the PT-91 Twardy in service with the Polish Army but modified to meet Malaysian requirements. Changes include a new gun, fire control system, battle management
system, communications, engine and transmission. In Malaysia Bumar Labedy are working with MMC Defence who will be responsible for logistic support of the PT-91 fleet and who are installing Malaysian specified equipment into the vehicles prior to their delivery to the Malaysian Army. The victory in Malaysia was especially significant for Bumar as it was won against significant international opposition, including tanks from Russia, the Ukraine and Sweden. Bumar Labedy have been building tanks at Glewice in Poland since 1951, with models including the T-34/85, T-54, T-55, T-72 and PT-91, as well as building specialist variants based on these models. It is believed that the Glewice facility of Bumar Labedy has produced more than 10,000 tanks since 1951.

Bumar have also become a significant supplier of equipment to India over the years. In 2001 they won a
contract to supply 42 WZT-3 armoured recovery vehicles, based on the T-72M1 tank chassis, to the Indian
Army. Then in 2003 this was followed by another order for 80 WZT-3 vehicles, after which in 2004 came a $202 million contract for 228 WZT-3 vehicles. The Indian marketplace continues to offer great potential for Bumar, with a number of major contracts under discussion. Earlier this year it was revealed that Bumar were in discussion with India over a range of contracts that had a combined value in the region of $1.2 billion.

Amongst the system under discussion were 200 more WZT-3 vehicles, 100 Loara self-propelled anti-aircraft guns, based on the PT-91 chassis with twin 35 mm Oerlikon guns, Kroton demining vehicles and 110 self propelled guns. Also allegedly involved in this Indian package was Bumar taking a major part in the Indian Army programme to upgrade its T-72M1 Ajeya tank fleet. In fact Poland has played a role in previous Indian efforts to modernise the Ajeya fleet, supplying a number of Drawa fire control systems.

This new modernization effort could see Bumar supply, through its PZL-Wola subsidiary, up to 1,000 new tank engines to replace the existing V-46-6 diesel engine of the T-72M1, which offers 780 hp (582 kW) of power, with higher performance alternatives. Bumar could provide the S-12U as used in the PT-91 in Poland which offers 850 hp (634 kW) or the S-12R as used by the PT-91M, which offers 1,000 hp (746 kW) of power.