For the first time, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are seen using Rosomak military vehicles: a video published online shows a column of Ukrainian armored equipment featuring two Rosomaks at once and two more types of armor from Sweden – the SV9040 infantry fighting vehicle and the Strv 122 tank (local name for Leopard 2A5).
A notable detail is that the Polish troop carrier is armed with the Hitfist turret from Italian Oto Melara (now part of Leonardo company). The turret's primary weapon is the Mk44 Bushmaster II 30mm autocannon which means Ukranians got the IFV version of this vehicle.
Read more: There Are Two Kinds of Rosomak Vehicles for Ukraine: Let's Take a Look at Both
A brief reminder, in April this year, Ukraine announced a deal with Poland on the production and supply of 200 Rosomaks. The brand-new vehicles were to be made at Polish factories; there were no details though who will pay for the weapons because the contract might have been partially or fully sponsored by Ukraine's international partners.
Worth noting, the Rosomak is a licensed Polish version of the famous Finnish Patria. In 2003, an agreement between the countries was signed, and production kicked off at Wojskowe Zakłady Mechaniczne enterprise. The first order was for 690 vehicles, expanded to 997 units in October 2013.
Having a weight of 22 tons, Rosomak has a two-layer spaced armor which is classic for amphibious military equipment: it protects against 14.5mm machine guns in the front and against 7.62mm rifles from the sides, as well as against 6-kg high-explosive charges.
But there is an option to replace the outer layer with tougher armor up to a protection level withstanding hits by 2A42 cannon 30mm of russian BMP-2 and BTR-82 armored personnel carriers. These armor kits are easy to install even in field conditions, they were created specially for around 100 vehicles of the Polish expeditionary force in Afghanistan.
Mobility of the Rosomak is provided by a Scania D1 12 56A03PE turbo-diesel engine with 490 hp output. The wheeled chassis can speed up to 100 km/h (60 mph), crossing water obstacles at 10 km/h. The landing compartment accommodates up to eight personnel plus three people is the crew.
Read more: Ukrainian Military Destroyed the Newest Buk-M3 SAM System, 9С18М3 Target Detection Radar (Video)
