- Yes
- No
History
History
“Ciężki Bojowy Wóz Piechoty (Demonstrator Technologii)”, Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (Technology Demonstrator) in English.
Following the development of the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, Poland began looking for a heavier IFV capable of operating alongside its Abrams tanks. Unlike the amphibious Borsuk, the new vehicle would not need to swim, allowing significantly more weight to be dedicated to armour, mine protection, internal volume and survivability. The heavy IFV was intended primarily for high-intensity combat alongside Poland’s armoured formations.
The first public plans appeared in February 2023, when Minister of National Defence Mariusz Błaszczak announced that Huta Stalowa Wola would develop a heavy IFV using a Krab-derived platform and the ZSSW-30 unmanned turret. The concept was intended to take advantage of technologies already being produced in Poland, allowing development to proceed faster than designing an entirely new vehicle. The vehicle was to have a three-man crew and carry eight infantrymen.
On 14 August 2023, the Polish Armament Agency signed a framework agreement with PGZ and HSW for approximately 700 heavy IFVs in various configurations. The initial concept was based around the Krab chassis, but subsequent engineering work showed that directly adapting the artillery chassis would impose too many compromises. A heavily protected IFV has very different requirements from a self-propelled howitzer, particularly concerning armour layout, mine protection and internal volume.
HSW therefore moved away from simply modifying the Krab and began developing a new heavy tracked chassis, while retaining experience and selected technologies from the Krab and Borsuk programs. Several different designs were examined during development, with the vehicle eventually adopting a larger hull and seven road wheels per side. The project was given the name Ratel, but it seems to have lost the designation.
The new design was first publicly shown in greater detail at MSPO 2025, where HSW presented a 1:4-scale model. By this point, the vehicle had clearly evolved beyond the original K9/Krab concept, becoming a purpose-built heavy IFV with increased protection and a non-amphibious configuration. It retained the ZSSW-30 turret as always.
By 2026, development had progressed to a full-scale technology demonstrator. The current vehicle is intended to provide substantially greater protection and growth potential than the Borsuk while retaining good mobility and commonality with other Polish armoured vehicles.
Two additional prototypes are planned as part of the CBWP’s continued development, with one intended primarily for field testing and mobility trials , while the other will be used for testing and evaluating the vehicle’s armour and protection systems. The platform is also being designed with future variants in mind, and HSW has indicated that 105 mm and potentially 120 mm armed versions could be experimented with in the future.
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: 40t
- Engine: MTU MT 881 Ka 500 (1000Hp)
- Max speed: 65 km/h???
Why is the front like that?
Details
The CBWP is still in its prototype stage, meaning many of its features are still being tested and refined. One example is its drivetrain and engine configuration, which may be responsible for the large ventilation housing protruding from the front of the vehicle. This gives the current prototype a somewhat awkward appearance, but it is important to remember that the design is far from final . As development continues, these features may be modified, redesigned, or replaced entirely, so do not expect the CBWP to remain in its current configuration.
Even the engineers at HSW want to change this
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
Details
- Powerpack
- Engine: MTU MT 881 Ka 500 (1000Hp)???
- Transmission: Allison 3040 MX???
- Gears: 4 forward, 2 reverse
- Top Speed: 65 km/h (40.4 mph)???
- Neutral steering
- Weight: 40000 kg
- Hydropneumatic suspension
Armor
Details
The vehicle’s front armor is believed to be designed to resist 30x173mm armor-piercing cannon rounds fired from 500 meters, a protection level consistent with STANAG 4569 Level 6.
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
Sources
General Sources
Ciężki BWP w Kielcach po raz pierwszy! [FOTO]
Ciężki Bojowy Wóz Piechoty z HSW S.A. – umowa ramowa podpisana – Huta Stalowa Wola S.A.
https://soucy-defense.com/crt-systems/
Ciężki BWP ze Stalowej Woli – temperatura rośnie!
dimensions, mobilty
Armor
Optics, electronics
