Opal (armoured personnel carrier)

Opal
WPT Mors
Type	Armoured personnel carrier
Place of origin	Poland
Service history
Used by	Poland
Production history
Designer	HSW S.A.
Specifications
Weight	11,900 kg
Length	6.45 m
Width	2.86 m
Height	1.865 m
Crew	2 (+ 11 passengers)
Main armament	12.7mm NSVT machine-gun
Engine	SW680 diesel 245 hp
Power/weight	20 hp/tonne
Suspension	Torsion bar

The Opal-I is a multi-purpose fully amphibious armoured personnel carrier developed and produced by HSW S.A.. APC is a development of MT-LB that was produced in HSW on licence. Major changes are with reworked nose section and propellers for better in water speed and manoeuvrability, new turret with 12.7 mm NSVT machine-gun instead of old with 7.62 PKT and powered-up engine. Opal-II is a stretched variant with longer chassis with 7 road wheels on each side, like the 2S1 and MT-LBu and 300 hp (220 kW) SW680T engine.

Variants

WPT Mors

(WPT for Wóz Pogotowia Technicznego - lit Technical Emergency Vehicle) - technical support vehicle with light crane, hydraulic dozerblade, welding equipment and an NBC detection system. The vehicle is a basic support vehicle of mechanized battalions equipped with BMP-1 IFV in Polish Land Forces.^[1]

TRI Hors

(TRI for Transporter Rozpoznania Inżynieryjnego - lit. Engineering Reconnaissance Vehicle) - engineering vehicle with basic equipment. In use with Polish Land Forces.^[2]

Durian firing UZR-3 mine clearing system

TRI-D Durian

It's TRI Hors additionally equipped with trailer-mounted UZR-3 mine clearing system. In use with Polish Land Forces.^[3]

Kroton

ISM Kroton

(ISM for Inżynieryjny System Minowania – lit. Engineer Minelaying System, Kroton is Polish for Croton) - Opal-II based engineer vehicle with mine-scattering system UMN mounted on a cargo bed. UMN consists of 4 launchers, each with 20 launch containers for anti-personnel or anti-tank mines. The ISM has a crew of 2 and a combat weight of 15.25 tonnes. It entered service with Polish Land Forces in 2004.^[4]

Lotos

Armoured ambulance vehicle. In service with Polish Land Forces.^[5]

Łowcza-3

ZWD-10R Łowcza-3

(ZWD for Zautomatyzowany Wóz Dowodzenia – lit. Automatic Command Vehicle) - Opal-I based air defence command vehicle equipped with Łowcza system. The troop compartment section of vehicle is higher than in standard vehicle. Also known as LA-3. Vehicle is used by Polish Land Forces.

Sopel

LSPZRA Sopel

(LSPZRA for lekki samobieżny przeciwlotniczy zestaw rakietowo-artyleryjski – lit. light, self-propelled, anti-aircraft, combined gun and missile system; Sopel is Polish for Icicle) - air defence variant armed with twin 23 mm cannon and two 9M32M "Strela-2M" surface to air missiles. Vehicle designed as air-defence vehicle for mechanized units. Only prototype.^[6]

LSPZRA Stalagmit

(Stalagmit is Polish for Stalagmite) - development of Sopel, based on Opal-II, armed with ELOP turret with two 23 mm Model-4216 guns and 4 Grom surface to air missiles. This variant was equipped with more advanced guiding systems. Only prototype.^[6]

Bor

Ammunition re-supply vehicle for artillery units. Only prototype.

References

1. ^ Militarium - WPT Mors (PL)
2. ^ Huta Stalowa Wola Web Site - Hors
3. ^ Huta Stalowa Wola Web Site - Durian
4. ^ Huta Stalowa Wola Web Site - Kroton
5. ^ Huta Stalowa Wola Web Site - Lotos
6. ^ ^{a b} Militarium - Sopel/Stalagmit (PL)