The deal, struck on Thursday in Warsaw, marks a major step forward in modernising Poland's military with fully homegrown technology, officials told reporters.
It is worth PLN 6.5 billion (about EUR 1.6 billion, USD 1.7 billion), along with a logistics, training and support package, according to the Polish defence ministry.
Deliveries will begin later this year and continue until 2029.
With five additional vehicles already built, Poland will have a total of 116 Borsuk vehicles—enough to equip two mechanised infantry battalions.
'The event of the decade'
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said: "We want to order more, the hundred and eleven are just the beginning."
He stressed the significance of the project, calling it "the event of the decade" for Poland’s defence sector and highlighting that the Borsuk is the first advanced combat vehicle designed and built entirely in Poland for the Polish armed forces.
Kosiniak-Kamysz also expressed hope that export versions would be developed for allied countries.
The Borsuk project began in 2014, with the first prototype completed in 2017. Funding and technical challenges had delayed the production contract, which had been eagerly awaited by both the military and the defence industry, officials said.
The latest contract implements a broader framework agreement signed in February 2023 by then-defence minister Mariusz Błaszczak.
That earlier deal envisioned more than 1,000 Borsuk vehicles and nearly 400 specialist variants based on the same chassis.
The Borsuk is designed to replace the ageing BWP-1 vehicles, Soviet-era designs from the 1960s that remain in wide use despite lacking any major modernisation.
State Assets Minister Jakub Jaworowski told reporters that the Borsuk’s development involved over 20 companies, including Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) subsidiaries such as OBRUM, Rosomak S.A. and the Military Automotive Works (WZM).
Several academic institutions contributed to the project at various stages, he said, listing the Military University of Technology, the War Studies Academy and the Warsaw University of Technology.
Private-sector firms such as WB Electronics also played key roles, according to Jaworowski.
'A revolution for Poland’s mechanised and armoured forces'
“This really is a revolution for Poland’s mechanised and armoured forces,” Jaworowski said, adding that the development timeline of over 10 years compares favourably to similar projects in other countries.
The Borsuk is a tracked, amphibious infantry fighting vehicle based on a modular, universal platform known as UMPG.
It features a remote-controlled turret system developed domestically by Huta Stalowa Wola in partnership with WB Electronics.
Its main weapon is the Bushmaster Mk.44S automatic cannon, which supports five types of ammunition, including programmable rounds.
The turret also carries a 7.62mm UKM-2000C machine gun and a dual launcher for anti-tank guided missiles, as well as other ancillary weaponry.
The vehicle carries a crew of three – a commander, gunner, and driver – and can transport six fully equipped infantry soldiers into combat zones, offering a high level of protection.
Its top speed on land is 65 kph, and 8 kph in water. In its basic configuration, the Borsuk weighs 28 tonnes.
Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda described the ZSSW-30 turret as one of the most advanced systems of its kind globally and suggested it could become a successful export product.
'We have world-class products': Borsuk, Rak, Piorun, Grot
Deputy Minister Cezary Tomczyk echoed this view, promoting the quality of Polish defence equipment to potential foreign buyers.
“We have world-class products, like the Borsuk, but also the Rak self-propelled mortars, the Piorun missile launchers, and the Grot rifles,” he said.
Infantry fighting vehicles such as the Borsuk are central to modern military operations. These armoured, armed vehicles, either tracked or wheeled, are designed to carry infantry troops to the battlefield while providing fire support.
The agreement was signed at the Military Centre for Civic Education in Warsaw by senior defence and industry officials, including Kosiniak-Kamysz, Jaworowski, and Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak.
Representing the Polish armed forces was Col. Piotr Paluch, deputy head of the Armaments Agency, a state-run body responsible for purchases of weapons and military equipment.
Signing on behalf of industry were Krzysztof Trofiniak, CEO of the Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, PGZ), and Wojciech Kędziera, CEO of Huta Stalowa Wola, the plant manufacturing the Borsuk, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
(rt/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP