There are campaigns discrediting Polish-made weapons; foreign arms companies would be interested in pushing it out of the market. Onet’s publication on the Cave carbines is an attempt to influence the competitiveness of the Polish arms industry, Deputy Defense Minister Marcin Ociepa told PAP.
Onet’s lantern
In an interview with PAP, Ociepa referred to the Wednesday publication of the Onet portal dedicated to the Cave carbines produced in “Łucznik” in Radom, which are currently being equipped by Polish soldiers as their basic armament. Many such carbines were also handed over to the Ukrainian army as part of its equipment for defense against Russian aggression.
The authors of the publication refer to a note that was to be sent to the commander of the Special Forces Component, General Sławomir Drumowicz, after joint exercises by Polish and Ukrainian soldiers of the Special Forces. The note was supposed to contain information about the numerous defects and errors of the carbines. As we read about the “notorious” jamming of the weapon, the problem with the attachment of the barrel and sight, as well as the low accuracy of the tips.
I can’t get over the surprise that Onet continues to defame Polish weapons, in this case Cave carbines. Our user feedback is positive
– said the deputy head of the Ministry of National Defense when PAP asked him about this matter.
“This design is very good”
The politician added that any military equipment is constantly analysed, tested and improved, and the best equipment is usually the result of a long process of continuous improvement.
Of course we collect comments about Grotto; they do not differ in any way from the standards of later versions of the carbine, but what’s more, they make us believe that this construction is very good
he assessed.
Because it is very good, it is also competitive. I understand that there are other armaments companies in the world, especially in Western Europe, that would like to push Grot out of the market. This is a kind of attempt to use the conflict in Ukraine for business purposes; it needs a strong response
he said.
Ociepa pointed out that the Grotto carbines will be used not only by Polish soldiers, but also to become Polish exports.
Arrowheads, like Pioruns and other types of weapons, are export successes, they work well in Ukraine, but there are campaigns to discredit this success. I treat Onet’s next publication as an attempt to influence the competitiveness of this weapon in the world
– added.
Onet wrote about the alleged defects of the Grot carbine (the original name of the manufacturer of the MSBS-5.56 carbine) and alleged violations of the procedures for the first use of the new weapon in early 2021. As the portal wrote, after the tests it turned out that the carbine “is so bad, it threatens the soldiers.”
Fabryka Broni “Łucznik” in Radom accused the authors of the text of unreliability, expressed “doubts about both the objectivity and the intent of the publication”. She emphasized that the inherent flaws of each new design are removed and the carbine is improved in consultation with the military. In January 2022, the process related to the protection of “Łucznik’s” personal rights began.
“Sagittarius” replies
After the publication of the portal, the Ministry of National Defense assured that the Cave was tested by the manufacturer and the future user before going into mass production and passed all necessary qualification tests under the supervision of a special commission. “Łucznik” also referred to Onet’s Wednesday publication in a statement posted on the company’s website.
Fabryka Broni +Łucznik+ – Radom sp.z oo is not aware of the content of the note addressed to DKWS referred to in the article. The company is therefore unable to confirm whether the training described in the article actually took place, what its purpose, course and subject were
we are reading. The company indicates that the defects described in the article are issues related to the inspection of weapons, the requirement of which is indicated in the equipment manual.
The article contains a surprising suggestion that the training participants allegedly failed to conduct at least a preliminary inspection of the weapon before firing and to remove any visible malfunctions, including: a damaged firing pin (it takes a professional about 10 seconds to remove this element), missing weapon components, or did not correct the sight mounts
– indicated. As added, the material cannot be considered reliable based on anonymous statements. “He is far from credible. In addition, the company questions the veracity of the quoted statements,” it was pointed out that special forces soldiers cannot comment on their service backstage.
At the end of February, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it had signed an appendix worth about PLN 1 billion to the currently implemented July 2020 contract, deliveries of MSBS GROT carbines for the Polish Armed Forces will increase. According to the annex, Fabryka Broni Łucznik will deliver almost 88 thousand to the Polish Armed Forces by the end of 2026. more Grot C16 FB-A2 carbines, caliber 5.56×45 mm. As a result, the Ministry of National Defense’s total order will total nearly 184,000. carabiners, and the total value of the contract will be approximately PLN 2.1 billion gross. The previous annex was signed in early January; Deputy Prime Minister, Chief of the Ministry of National Defense Mariusz Błaszczak said the Polish army will need at least 300,000. carbines, as well as weapons intended for reservists.
In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of Grots were handed over to Ukrainian soldiers as part of equipment supplied by Poland. In addition, an unknown number of Arrowheads were sold to the US Special Forces Command, as well as to an unknown country in the East African region.
The 5.56mm Grot assault rifle, developed by Fabryka Broni Łucznik in Radom in collaboration with the Military University of Technology, was created as a result of the Modular Small Arms System (MSBS) project implemented as part of the TYTAN Advanced Individual Combat Systems (ZISW) program. The modular design offers the ability to quickly adapt to the user’s needs, and the carabiner can be available in many configurations and versions, both in the classic and bullpup system. The first copies of the MSBS Cave came in 2017 in the equipment of the Territorial Defense Forces and from 2019 also in the equipment of operational troops.
kk/PAP
Source: wPolityce