Polish Army strengthens breaching capabilities with purchase of 25 US-made M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicles

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The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle (ABV) is a 72-ton vehicle based on the M1A1 Abrams chassis, and developed by the United States after the cancellation of the Grizzly program in 2001. (Picture source: US DoD)

The decision to acquire these vehicles came in response to a 2023 request from the Polish Armed Forces, and the American offer remained valid only until the end of July 2025, prompting an accelerated decision-making process. The annex was signed in the presence of Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Bejda. According to the Polish Ministry of National Defence, the purchase complements the ongoing procurement of U.S.-produced M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks, including 116 used M1A1s sourced from the U.S. Marine Corps and 250 newly manufactured M1A2 SEPv3s ordered on April 5, 2022, the first batch of which arrived in January 2025 at the Port of Gdynia.

The M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle is a 72-ton tracked engineering platform designed to clear mines and other fortified obstacles. It is built on the chassis of the M1A1 Abrams main battle tank but replaces the turret with a reinforced superstructure fitted with two M58 Mine Clearing Line Charge (MICLIC) launchers capable of deploying explosive line charges up to 150 meters forward. These systems create safe lanes up to 8 meters wide. The ABV is also equipped with a 4.6-meter-wide full-width mine plow and features Pearson Engineering's High Lift Adapter, which allows rapid interchange between mission-specific tools such as combat dozer blades and mine rollers. For marking cleared paths, the vehicle includes a Lane Marking System (LMS) that dispenses high-visibility darts, and for observation and navigation, it features an integrated vision suite with day/night cameras and thermal sensors. Its primary weapon is a 12.7 mm M2 Browning heavy machine gun operated from a protected cupola. The vehicle is operated by a two-person crew consisting of a commander and a driver, and the superstructure can be fitted with reactive armor modules and active protection systems.

The M1150 ABV was developed by the United States following the 2001 cancellation of the Grizzly Combat Mobility Vehicle program. The vehicle entered service with the U.S. Marine Corps in 2008 and saw combat for the first time during Operation Cobra's Anger in Afghanistan in December 2009. It was later used in Operation Moshtarak in 2010 and Operation Black Sand in 2011. Following the Marine Corps' decision to divest heavy armor in 2023, the U.S. Army became the sole domestic operator. In total, 239 vehicles were produced, including 45 for the USMC and 187 for the Army. International users now include Australia, which ordered 29 vehicles; Romania, approved for four units; Bahrain, confirmed with eight; and Ukraine, which received a limited number of ABVs likely drawn from retired USMC stocks. Ukraine publicly debuted the vehicle during a ceremony in November 2023 and later suffered at least two confirmed vehicle losses, one near Stepove in February 2024 and one captured by Russian forces near Berdychi in April 2024 and later exhibited in Moscow.

Within the Polish context, the integration of M1150 ABVs into the 18th Mechanized Division is expected, given this unit's existing operation of Abrams tanks. Poland currently lacks tracked engineering vehicles capable of mechanized breaching operations, a capability gap that the M1150 could address. The vehicle's heavy armor and specialized systems allow it to perform tasks in environments heavily contaminated by mines and covered by defensive fire. Lessons from the war in Ukraine have emphasized the difficulty of penetrating layered minefields and fortified zones, where traditional engineering solutions are often insufficient. The M1150, due to its armor protection, 1500-horsepower turbine engine, and remote breaching systems, is among the few platforms capable of performing such tasks with survivability in high-threat conditions. The system's modularity through the High Lift Adapter enables rapid reconfiguration depending on mission requirements, whether for plowing, dozing, or marking cleared routes.

The American proposal also opens the possibility of additional procurement, including M88A2 Hercules armored recovery vehicles and containerized mobile maintenance workshops. These could be added to the acquisition through the same annex, bypassing Poland's previously canceled Kajman program, which failed to deliver sufficient quantities of modern recovery vehicles. While the Polish Armament Agency has not confirmed the financing source or precise timeline for contract implementation, it stated that interministerial consultations regarding funding were ongoing as of late July 2025. The logistical support and training infrastructure already established for the Abrams fleet, including the Abrams Competence Center in Poznań operated by the Military Automotive Works (WZM) under PGZ Group, provides an existing framework for sustaining the ABVs and potentially for servicing similar vehicles used by other NATO members, including Romania and U.S. forces stationed in Europe.

The M1150 ABV was designed specifically for assault support in environments where conventional engineering assets would be ineffective or vulnerable. Its front-mounted mine plow and interchangeable tools make it suitable for use in both rural and urban terrains. During operations in Afghanistan, the ABV was used to create safe lanes through areas saturated with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and anti-tank mines. Six ABVs were also deployed to the Korean Peninsula to reinforce U.S. capabilities for breaching the heavily mined Demilitarized Zone. The vehicle's systems can clear up to 274 meters per minute using mechanical plows and detonate minefields remotely with MICLICs. Additional features include elevated headlights for visibility over mounted tools, and a multipurpose control unit (MCU) for internal operation of hydraulic systems. The MICLIC crates are loaded using cranes such as the M985A1R HEMTT and are reconfigurable in the field depending on the situation.

The ABV's integration into the Polish Armed Forces aligns with the country's broader modernization strategy and expanding inventory of U.S.-origin systems. Poland's defense investments since 2023 have included Apache attack helicopters, HIMARS rocket artillery, Patriot air defense systems, and new radar platforms. According to NATO data, Poland is among the top defense spenders relative to GDP within the alliance and operates the third-largest military by personnel numbers after the United States and Turkey. The procurement of the M1150 ABV, if executed as planned, will reinforce Poland's mechanized breaching capabilities, provide greater support for armored and infantry operations, and offer improved survivability and speed in future conflict environments. The full implementation of this annex would also mark another step in standardizing Poland's armored capabilities around the Abrams family of platforms, optimizing training, logistics, and battlefield integration across engineering, maneuver, and support formations.