- Yes
- No
History
The BWP Borsuk (Polish: Badger) represents the latest chapter in Poland’s pursuit of a modern, fully amphibious infantry fighting vehicle. Its development began in the mid-2010s under the Polish Ministry of Defence’s initiative to finally replace the aging BWP-1 fleet — locally designated as the BMP-1 — inherited from the Warsaw Pact era. By this time, the BWP-1 was considered obsolete in terms of protection, mobility, and battlefield survivability. While it retained amphibious capability, which remained a key operational requirement, incremental modernizations were judged either too costly or insufficient to meet contemporary combat needs.
In 2014, the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) officially launched the Borsuk program, designating it as a major modernization priority for Poland’s mechanized forces. The project was entrusted to Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), a company already renowned for the Krab self-propelled howitzer and other domestic armored projects. From the start, the Borsuk was envisioned as a next-generation IFV that would combine modern firepower, high survivability, and modularity, while still being able to swim.
By the early 2020s, prototypes underwent extensive testing and trials, demonstrating the Borsuk’s amphibious abilities and mobility over challenging terrain. A major milestone came in February 2023, when a framework agreement was signed covering up to around 1,400 vehicles based on the Borsuk chassis. This was followed by the first executive production contract in March 2025 for an initial batch of 111 IFVs, marking the beginning of serial production and confirming the vehicle as the successor to Poland’s immortal BMP-1-derived fleet.
The most significant step in the program occurred on December 4, 2025, when the Polish Army officially received its first 15 production Borsuk vehicles from HSW. This delivery marked the vehicle’s entry into operational service and the start of large-scale fielding across mechanized units.
Summarised Characteristics
Details
- Crew (3)
- Driver, gunner, commander
- 30mm Bushmaster II Mk44S Autocannon
- Ammo:
- APFSDS (NM 225)
- FAPDS-T
- MP-T/SD (NM 222)
- Elevation: -10/+60°
- Two-plane stabilizer
- Fire rate: 200rds/m
- ATGM Launcher (2x ready)
- Spike-LR2 ATGM
- Additional 4 in storage
- Commander Periscope
- 3rd Gen thermals
- Gunner sight
- 2nd Gen thermals
- LWS Obra 3
- Laser Rangefinder
- 8x 81mm Dezamet Smoke Grenade Launchers
- ESS
- Combat weight: 28t
- Engine:MTU 8V199 TE20
- Max speed: 65 km/h
- Max speed in water: 8 km/h
Armament
Details
Remotely Controlled 30mm Turret System – ZSSW-30
- Horizontal rotation speed: 0.7 rad/s
- Vertical rotation speed: 0.7 rad/s
- At the moment there isn’t much information on the ZSSW-30, reliable information is hard to come by.
Mk44S Bushmaster II
- Elevation: -9° to +60°
- Two-plane stabilizer
- Fire rate: 200 rds/m standard 120rds/m for air burst
- Ammo capacity: Ready racked 200 rds
- Total ammunition capacity: 200?
- Ammo feeding: Dual feed
Ammunition
APFSDS (NM 225) (already in game)
FAPDS-T
- Projectile weight: 235 g
- Cartridge weight: 750 g
- Muzzle velocity: 1385 m/s
- Charge weigth: ~172 g (2654,32 gr)
- Dispersion: ≤ 0.4 mils at 1 000 m
- Penetration: 30 mm RHA 60° NATO at 1000 m
MP-T/SD (NM 222)
- Projectile weight: 363 g
- Cartridge weight: 835 g
- Muzzle velocity: 1 070 m/s
- Charge weight: ~148 g (2283,95 gr)
- Maximum dispersion: < 0.4 mils at 1 000 m
- Penetration: 10 mm RHA 60° NATO at 1000 m
- Tracer: ≥ 4.6 s
- Self-destruction: Yes
7,62 mm UKM-2000C
- Magazine capacity: 250 rounds
- Rate of fire: 700-900 rds/m
- Velocity: 850 m/s
- Range 1500 m
- Length: 1058 mm
- Barrel length: 521 mm
Spike-LR II
KTO Rosomak with the ZSSW-30 turret firing a spike missileThe ZSSW-30 carries x 2 Spike-LR2
And an additional 4 in storage.
Mobility
Armour
Details
Exact armour specifications are still unknown, it is believed though that the Borsuk has STANAG 4569 level IV protection on the front the front and level III on the side
Optics, electronics,other
Details
- Gunner optic: GOC-1 NIKE
- Vertical guidance speed: 1 rad/s (≈57,3 deg/s)
- Two-plane stabilizer
- Thermal camera
- 3-rd generation
- Wide FOV: 10°
Narrow FOV: 3.1°- Day camera
- Wide FOV: 10.7°
Narrow FOV: 3.3°
Commander optic: GOD-1 IRIS
- Horizontal/vertical guidance speed: 1 rad/s (≈57,3 deg/s)
- Two-plane stabilizer
- Thermal camera
- 3-rd generation
- Wide FOV: 10°
- Narrow FOV: 3.1°
- Day camera
- Wide FOV: 10.7°
- Narrow FOV: 3.3°
Video Tracker
Laser rangefinderㅤ
Laser warning system: OBRA-3
- Detection angular range in vertical plane: -6°/+30°
- Detection angular range in horizontal plane: 360°
- Dange of detected radiation: 0.6 μm – 11 μm.
8x 81mm GAk-81 Smoke grenades
Pictures/Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYUcC39N1-E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iut8oiAlzX8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsWsTrzbhh0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGk3LJjsjYw
Pictures of the first prototype
Sources
General Sources
Armament
https://www.fbcinc.com/source/Northrop_Resources/30_x_173mm_Full_Ammo_Suite.pdf
dimensions, mobilty
Zespoły napędowe do NBPWP BORSUK | Wojskowe Zakłady Motoryzacyjne S.A.
Armor
Optics, electronics
Huge credits to @PiekarzV2 for the help with gathering all the sources!
