Poland’s Next‑Gen IFV: First Borsuk IFV Enters Service with Polish Army

The armed forces of Poland received the first batch of mass-produced Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). A formal handover ceremony at the production plant of Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) saw 15 Borsuk IFVs transferred to the 15th Mechanized Brigade of the Polish Army — marking the official entry into service of the next-generation amphibious IFV.

The delivery comes under a contract signed months earlier — an initial batch of 111 vehicles that will be delivered between 2025 and 2029 under serial‑production terms.

Background — Why Borsuk?

The Borsuk IFV (Polish for “Badger”) is the result of Poland’s long-running effort to replace the obsolete Soviet‑era BWP‑1 fleet, a platform dating back to the Cold War.

Developed by HSW as part of the national Nowy Bojowy Pływający Wóz Piechoty (NBPWP) programme, the Borsuk is built on a universal modular tracked platform (UMPG). It was first revealed to the public at the 2017 MSPO defense exhibition. Over successive years it underwent design refinements, prototypes, and extensive field tests — including amphibious, mobility, and live‑fire trials — before being approved for serial production.

Poland’s aim with Borsuk is not only to upgrade infantry firepower and protection, but also to develop and sustain a domestic defense‑industrial capability, reducing reliance on foreign platforms.

Key Features & Technical Details

According to official data from HSW and Polish MoD procurement documents, the Borsuk IFV offers significant improvements over its predecessors:

• Crew & capacity: Crew of three (commander, driver, weapons operator) + space for six dismounted infantry soldiers.
• Mobility: Powered by an MTU 8V199 TE20 turbo-diesel engine delivering 720 hp; hydropneumatic suspension; maximum road speed of 65 km/h; fully amphibious with swimming speed around 8 km/h.
• Protection: Hull built with steel reinforced by composite/ceramic armor; design compliant with modern battlefield survivability standards.
• Armament: Equipped with a remotely operated turret system, ZSSW-30 turret — featuring a 30 mm Mk44S Bushmaster II autocannon, a 7.62 mm UKM‑2000C coaxial machine gun, and dual anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launchers. Additional ammunition types include programmable rounds.
• Modularity and growth potential: The chassis is designed to host multiple specialized variants beyond the standard IFV — including command, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, recovery, and NBC‑reconnaissance versions.

According to the initial contract, the first 111 IFVs will be delivered by 2029; the larger framework envisions up to 1,400 tracked vehicles based on the Borsuk chassis including IFVs and support variants.

Statement from Officials

At the handover ceremony, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, emphasized that the 15 newly delivered Borsuk IFVs mark a “major day for the Polish Armed Forces,” highlighting that the vehicles not only replace Soviet‑era systems, but also significantly enhance the operational capability of the 15th Mechanized Brigade.

Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Bejda, responsible for modernization, underlined that Borsuks will become cornerstone assets of Poland’s mechanized forces. He also indicated plans to further diversify the fleet with amphibious and non-amphibious variants, while promoting Borsuk as a potential export product.

Meanwhile, HSW is reportedly ramping up its production capacity in preparation for serial output. The company aims to support not only the Borsuk IFV programme, but also other related tracked and support vehicles.

Significance — What This Means for Poland’s Armed Forces

The induction of Borsuk IFVs represents a watershed moment for the Polish Land Forces. After decades of relying on outdated Soviet-era BWP‑1 IFVs — whose thin armor and obsolete systems rendered them vulnerable in modern conflict scenarios — Poland is now fielding a modern, domestically built platform capable of meeting contemporary threats.

The Borsuk’s amphibious capability, modular chassis, and modern turret armament provide the Polish Army with enhanced tactical flexibility. Its integration will likely be pivotal for mechanized brigades stationed near Poland’s eastern borders — a region of heightened strategic importance given recent security developments in Europe.

Moreover, the decision to design, produce, and deploy Borsuk domestically underlines Poland’s strategic ambition to strengthen its defense‑industrial base — reducing reliance on foreign imports and potentially becoming an exporter of advanced armoured vehicles.

What’s Next

Over the next four years, the Polish Ministry of Defense and HSW plan to complete the delivery of all 111 IFVs under the first contract. Concurrently, efforts will begin to deliver specialized variants — such as command, recovery, reconnaissance and medical evacuation vehicles — based on the Borsuk platform.

Poland may also pursue further procurement beyond the initial batch, expanding its mechanized force capabilities substantially. According to official policy plans, Borsuk (and associated support variants) may become the backbone of Poland’s mechanized infantry for decades.

Finally — as hinted by Defense Minister comments — Poland is preparing to promote Borsuk for export. If successful, this could mark HSW and Poland among the few European nations capable of offering a modern, amphibious, modular IFV for international customers