Poland has ordered Baobab-G mining tracked vehicles worth PLN 1 billion, or approximately $277.6 million. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2029, providing the ability to deploy quickly to stop the russian advance.
According to the Polish Armament Agency, the new system will be based on the chassis of the Krab self-propelled howitzer. The contract covers development and production, along with the supply of a full range of spare parts, training services, and training simulators.
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It should be noted that Baobab-K systems have already been ordered for the Polish Army. They use the Jelcz P882.53 8×8 truck chassis and have a two-person crew.
Each vehicle can carry up to 600 MN-123 anti-tank mines, with five mines loaded into each of the 20 tubes on every launch unit. The mine-laying process can be fully automated, with parameters such as length, width, and density set in advance.
It appears that Poland already has a suitable system with good performance, mounted on a wheeled truck chassis. This limits both cross-country mobility and protection, which are critical when operating close to the front line.
Therefore, it is not surprising that Poland is ordering a tracked variant based on the Krab chassis, essentially a localized version of the South Korean K9. In other words, a proven and well-established platform is being used, which will ensure standardization.
The current status of the Baobab-G project is unknown, but images released by the arms agency include 3D models and photos of the launch module. It is possible that a prototype already exists, which could be finalized for serial production by 2029.
Notably, the system is expected to be finalized in time for Poland's planned withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention. So there is a possibility that, in addition to anti-tank mines, the system will also include anti-personnel mines.
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