Ford instead of Nissan to supply Polish army with off-roaders says ministry
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Topics: FORD NISSAN POLISH
"The 485 Ford Ranger XTL vehicles will soon be available to the Polish Army. The contract also provides for the purchase of an additional 163 units under a contract option. The Ministry of Defence has signed, today, an annexe to the contract for the purchase of off-road vehicles for the Polish Army," said the ministry.
The vehicles will be delivered in the years 2020-2022.
Originally, the contract assumed the purchase of Nissan Navara vehicles. However, due to the coronavirus pandemic in Spain, the Spanish auto plant had to be closed.
“The factory was the only one which produced, for the European market, the vehicle model ordered earlier by the Polish Army," stated the defence ministry.
"The Ministry of National Defence recognised that one of the priorities was the replacement of the time-worn Honkers with new vehicles, in accordance with the previously adopted schedule.
The Ministry of National Defence has taken measures to reduce the unit price of the vehicle, while maintaining the same quality and parameters," the ministry said.
The ministry indicated that, as a result of talks with the supplier, it was able to save over PLN 2.5 mln (EUR 561,000) on the contract. It announced that the money would be used to buy additional 13 vehicles. The Ford Ranger XLT has similar technical specifications as the Nissan Navara, however, it is a slightly longer vehicle with a much larger boot, said the ministry. ■