This is the beginning of the process of replacing the obsolete Soviet BWP-1, which has been the basic equipment of the Polish armed forces since the 1960s.
As part of the executive agreement signed in March this year, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA and Huta Stalowa Wola SA agreed to deliver 111 Borsuk units for a total gross amount of PLN 6.57 billion. This contract is part of a larger project that assumes the production of over a thousand infantry fighting vehicles and almost 400 specialized vehicles based on the same chassis. The framework agreement was signed in February 2023, and the initiator was the then head of the Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak.
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Badgers replace old equipment
The Badgers will replace the Soviet BWP-1, which, despite the passage of decades, has not been thoroughly modernized. The project to create a fully Polish combat vehicle was started in 2014, when the Ministry of Defense was headed by Tomasz Siemoniak. The prototype of the vehicle saw the light of day in 2017. Experts emphasize that the introduction of Borsuk is a real revolution that will allow the Polish Armed Forces to modernize equipment and increase combat capabilities.
The new vehicle was designed with modern battlefield requirements in mind. Borsuk is based on a universal modular crawler platform (UMPG) and is equipped with a remotely controlled turret system (ZSSW-30).
8 km per hour in the water
The crew consists of three soldiers: commander, weapons operator and driver, and the vehicle can additionally transport six soldiers. The design allows you to overcome water obstacles without prior preparation, which is important in the context of the Polish landscape full of rivers and lakes. The badger reaches a speed of 65 km per hour. on paved roads and 8 km per hour while swimming. Its combat weight in the basic version is 28 tons.
The remotely controlled ZSSW-30 turret system, developed jointly by Huta Stalowa Wola SA and WB Electronics SA, is a key element of the Borsuk's armament. The main weapon is the Bushmaster Mk.44S automatic cannon, capable of using five types of ammunition, including programmable. Additional armament includes a UKM-2000C machine gun coupled to the gun and a dual anti-tank guided missile launcher.
2026 the year of the Badger?
Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defense, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, emphasized during Thursday's ceremony that Borsuk has a chance to become a Polish export hit. “2026 should be the year of promoting Badger around the world” – he noted. He also added that Polish atattachments and diplomatic missions will be tasked with promoting this product among allies and potential partners.
Deputy Prime Minister and head of the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz during the ceremony of handing over the Badgers to the Polish Armed Forces
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PAP/Darek Delmanowicz / PAP
Infantry fighting vehicles such as the Borsuk combine the features of armored personnel carriers and tanks, offering greater firepower than the former, although not comparable in armor and weaponry to tanks. Modern armies also often order specialized versions of such vehicles – from reconnaissance vehicles, through evacuation vehicles, to self-propelled mortars and guns.
