Polish Rosomak boosts Ukrainian defences against Russia
A new recording featuring the KTO Rosomak as the main subject has appeared on social media. It shows how Ukrainians use the Polish-made armoured personnel carrier in encounters with Russians. Experts quickly clarified what type of ammunition the crew used in this instance.
Jarosław Wolski, a Polish defence analyst, wrote on his profile on the service X that, without a doubt, the 30x173mm MP-T/SD ammunition was used, produced by MESKO S.A.
KTO Rosomak fires at Russians. Footage from the front
As explained by the manufacturer on their website, the 30x173mm MP-T/SD ammunition is designed to "engage lightly armoured targets at distances up to 3,000 metres." It has a self-destruct feature and can be used, amongst other things, in the ATK MK 44 Bushmaster II cannon, which serves as the main gun of the combat variants of the KTO Rosomak delivered to Ukraine (accompanied by the UKM-2000C machine gun and smoke grenade launchers).
The ATK MK 44 Bushmaster II is part of the Hitfist-30P turret. However, as Łukasz Michalik, a Wirtualna Polska journalist, reported, new Polish Rosomaks are currently receiving much more modern ZSSW-30 turrets. These turrets are developed and produced in Poland, whereas the Hitfist-30P turrets were developed under an Italian licence (by the company OTO Melara).
Rosomaks from Poland are proving effective in Ukraine
The KTO Rosomak is equipment performing well in Ukraine and has been repeatedly praised by soldiers there. In one interview, members of the 44th Independent Mechanised Brigade praised these Polish transporters for their speed, ease of handling, and the broad capabilities of their armament.
The KTO Rosomak is powered by a Scania D1 12 56A03PE engine with nearly 500 horsepower. The designers also incorporated an 8x8 wheel drive and a German automatic gearbox, the ZF 7HP 902S Ecomat.
This combination allows the nearly 8-metre-long vehicle to reach a maximum speed of up to 100 km/h. The KTO Rosomak can also overcome vertical obstacles up to 0.5 metres high and move through water at speeds of up to 10 km/h.
