"The Polish WZT represented a line of Armored Recovery Vehicles first built atop the chassis of the Soviet T-55 Main Battle Tank and progressively updated from then on - culminating in a modern version based on the PT-91 MBT."
Like other countries under the sphere of Soviet influence during the Cold War (1947-1991), Poland benefitted (at least militarily) from its relationship with a superpower. From this relationship came access to various weapon designs running the gamut of small arms and aircraft to vehicles and combat tanks. As such, with access to the Soviet line of Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) like the T-55 and T-72 series, the Polish Army went on to adopt their Armored Recovery Vehicle (ARV) forms based on these original Soviet designs. The Soviet BTS-1, based on the T-54 MBT, was purchased by Poland in the latter part of the 1960s. This experience ultimately led the country to invest in a series of similar vehicles under the "Woz Zabezpieczenia Technicznego" (literally "Armored Recovery Vehicle") name, or abbreviated to "WZT".
Beyond the Soviet-inspired ARVs, the series was expanded to include ARVs based on the local Polish PT-91 "Twardy" MBT hull, itself based on the Soviet T-72M1. The series has since encompassed the WZT-1, WZT-2, WZT-3, WZT-3M and WZT-4 built upon the respective hulls of the T-55, T-55A, T-72M, PT-91 and PT-91M tanks. The WZT-1 was in service until 1978. The WZT-4 was developed for the Malaysian Army.
The Polish Army no longer relies on the older WZT ARV series forms though some existing hulls are used for other battlefield roles. It maintains some twenty-nine WZT-3M models as a standard ARV to operate alongside its standard MBT, the Twardy.
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the WZT-2 (T-55) Armored Recovery Vehicle.
1 x V-55A 12-cylinder water-cooled, diesel-fueled engine developing 580 horsepower driving a conventional track-and-wheel arrangement. Installed Power
31 mph 50 kph Road Speed
292 miles 470 km Range
Structure The physical qualities of the WZT-2 (T-55) Armored Recovery Vehicle.
3 (MANNED) Crew
23.3 ft 7.1 meters O/A Length
10.7 ft 3.27 meters O/A Width
6.9 ft 2.1 meters O/A Height
69,446 lb 31,500 kg | 34.7 tons Weight
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the WZT ARV (Series) Armored Recovery Vehicle.
OPTIONAL:
1 x 12.7mm DShK Model 1938/46 Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) for anti-aircraft / anti-infantry coverage.
AMMUNITION: None.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the WZT ARV (Series) family line.
WZT - Base Series Designation
WZT-1 - Version built from T-55 MBT
WZT-2 - Version built from T-55A MBT
WZT-3 - Version built from T-72M MBT
WZT-3M - Version built from PT-91 MBT
WZT-4 - Version built from PT-91M MBT for export to Malaysia.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the WZT ARV (Series). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 50 Units Contractor(s): Bumar-Labedy - Poland
[ India; Malaysia; Poland ]
Going Further... The WZT ARV (Series) Armored Recovery Vehicle appears in the following collections:
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.
