Borsuk - Forged in Poland

THEPolishThunder · February 27, 2026, 7:35pm

Would you like to see this in-game?

Yes
No

0 voters

Borsuk - Forged in Poland

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.

Characteristics

Armament

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 missile

The ZSSW-30 carries x 2 Spike-LR2
And an additional 4 in storage.

Mobility

Powerpack
- Engine: MTU 8V199 TE20
  - power: 530 kW / ≈721 PS @ 2300 rpm
  - Max torque: 2700 Nm
- Transmission: Caterpillar X300
  - Gears: 4 forward, 2 reverse
  - Top Speed: 65 km/h (40.4 mph)
  - Water: 8 km/h (5 mph)
- Weight: 28000 kg
- Hydropneumatic suspension
- Amphibious

Armour
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

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°
Videotracker
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.