Poland took a significant step towards modernising its armed forces with the signing of the first executive contract for the delivery of 111 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs). The agreement, valued at PLN 6.5 billion, was concluded between the Armament Agency and the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), along with its subsidiary, Huta Stalowa Wola.
The contract was signed during a formal ceremony held at the Military Civic Education Centre in Warsaw. The event was attended by key government officials, including Minister of Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of State Assets Jakub Jaworowski, and Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak.
Colonel Piotr Paluch, Deputy Head of the Armament Agency, signed the agreement on behalf of the military. Representing the defence industry were Krzysztof Trofiniak, President of PGZ, and Wojciech Kędziera, President of Huta Stalowa Wola.
The contract covers not only the delivery of 111 Borsuk IFVs but also tailored, comprehensive logistics and training packages. Deliveries are scheduled to begin later this year and will continue through 2029.
„This is just the beginning—we intend to order more of these vehicles,” said Defence Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz, underlining the government’s commitment to expanding the capabilities of the Polish Army.
In addition to the newly contracted vehicles, the Polish military will receive five previously constructed Borsuk units, bringing the total to 116. These will be used to equip two mechanised infantry battalions.
The Borsuk IFV, developed domestically, is a key element of Poland’s ongoing defence modernisation program, aiming to replace outdated Soviet-era equipment with state-of-the-art systems designed and manufactured by the national defence industry.
The maximum speed when travelling on paved roads is 65 km/h, and cruising is 8 km/h. The combat weight of the vehicle in the basic variant is 28 tonnes.
A key feature of the Borsuk is the remotely controlled turret system (ZSSW-30) developed by Huta Stalowa Wola S.A. together with WB Electronics S.A., whose main armament is the Bushmaster Mk.44S automatic cannon. It is capable of firing five different types of ammunition, including programmable ammunition.
Infantry fighting vehicles, or IFVs, are one of the basic types of vehicles used by modern armed forces across the globe. They are armoured and equipped with various modern weapons such as an automatic cannon, anti-aircraft and anti-tank launchers and machine guns to protect and transport infantry soldiers and support them on the battlefield. The Polish Army currently lacks this type of modern vehicles as for now, the Soviet-made BWP-1 remains the most common.
It is also important to remember that Poland donated most of its Soviet-era heavy military equipment, including some 400 tanks, to Ukraine in the first days of the ongoing Russian aggression.
Source: PAP
Photo: @jakuboboza
Tomasz Modrzejewski
