BAE Systems Hägglunds said May 30 it will team with Polish national defense company Polish Defense Holding–formerly the Bumar Group–to offer a solution for the Polish armed forces’ Modular Tracked Platform (MTP) program.

The companies will offer new tracked armored combat vehicles for the MTP program, which is part of Poland’s National Armor Program.

The Polish defense industrial strategy is generally to develop a local design, build, and support capability with the support of international alliances.

A production contract is likely to be awarded in 2015, with the first vehicles delivered for service in 2018, the companies said. The program could require as many as 600 vehicles.

The companies will propose a family of vehicles that will draw heavily on existing technology, particularly CV90 chassis technology.

“Polish Defense Holding has extensive experience as an in-country prime contractor and will be critical in developing solutions for this new family of armored fighting vehicles that will meet the military’s requirements in Poland,” said Erwin Bieber, president, BAE Systems’ Land & Armaments sector.

The partnership brings the team one step closer to meeting the demanding technical and time challenges of this major Polish program and delivering critical operational capability to the Polish land forces, BAE said in a statement.

Polish Defense Holding will be instrumental in facilitating vehicle production if the team’s solution is chosen, the companies said.  

BAE Systems Hägglunds is its Swedish tracked vehicles unit and produces the CV90 for Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Also in its portfolio is the BvS10 all-terrain vehicle and hybrid drive technology.