On Wednesday, 25 February 2026, the Armed Forces General Command (DG RSZ) announced that soldiers from the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade conducted the first live-fire exercise with Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles at the Orzysz Land Forces Training Center. The vehicles entered service at the end of last year.
Photo: Cpl. Piotr Szafarski, 16th Mechanized Division
As reported, the crews of the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles tested their live-fire capabilities under training-range conditions for the first time. Soldiers of the 15th Mechanized Brigade carried out the inaugural firing exercises, confirming a high level of training, professionalism, and full operational readiness.
In practice, the troops conducted firing with the 30 mm Northrop Grumman ATK Bushmaster Mk.44S automatic cannon, which constitutes the main armament of the 30 mm Remote-Controlled Turret System (ZSSW-30). The firing was carried out by soldiers of the 1st Mechanized Battalion in Orzysz, which received 15 Borsuk IFVs on 8 December 2025, following the formal handover of the vehicles to the contracting authority at Huta Stalowa Wola on 4 December.
This marked the implementation of the first executive contract, signed on 27 March 2025 and valued at approximately 6.57 billion PLN (gross). The agreement covers the delivery of 111 vehicles between 2025 and 2029. It also includes, among other elements, a training and logistics support package.
It is worth noting that the Ministry of National Defence plans to order additional Borsuk IFVs under the EU’s SAFE (Security Action for Europe) instrument, as officially announced today.
The conclusion of the first executive contract was the result of a framework agreement signed on 28 February 2023. The framework agreement established the principles and conditions for concluding individual executive contracts related to the delivery of Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles and the entire family of specialist tracked vehicles based on the Universal Modular Tracked Platform (UMPG) for the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland, in a total quantity of 1,355 units.
Under the framework agreement, and over the course of the program’s implementation, in addition to the baseline IFVs, the Polish Armed Forces will also acquire specialist variants, including: the Żuk tracked reconnaissance carrier, the Oset tracked command vehicle, the Gotem medical evacuation vehicle, the Gekon armored recovery vehicle, and the Ares CBRN reconnaissance carrier.
On 28 April 2022, four additional prototypes were contracted (in addition to the first one previously ordered). These were used to conduct system-level verification tests. From November of the same year, the first prototype underwent trials in Orzysz under the supervision of the 15th Mechanized Brigade.
The Borsuk IFV, based on the Universal Modular Tracked Platform (UMPG), is equipped with the ZSSW-30 remote-controlled turret system. The crew consists of three soldiers: the commander, the gunner, and the driver. The vehicle is designed to transport six troops to the battlefield while ensuring an appropriate level of protection, as well as to provide fire support to infantry sub-units using its onboard weapon systems.
Using its onboard weapon systems, the vehicle is capable of engaging infantry, armored vehicles, aerial targets, and other enemy assets in all weather conditions and at any time of day. The vehicle features high mobility and the ability to overcome terrain obstacles, including water obstacles by swimming, and can operate in a wide range of climatic conditions. Its maximum speed on paved roads is 65 km/h, while its maximum speed in amphibious mode is 8 km/h. The combat weight in the baseline configuration is 28 metric tons.
The ZSSW-30 remote-controlled turret system is armed with the aforementioned Bushmaster Mk.44S automatic cannon, capable of firing in both automatic and semi-automatic modes, using five different types of ammunition, including programmable rounds. The secondary armament integrated with the turret consists of a coaxially mounted, modified 7.62 mm UKM-2000C machine gun. Additional firepower is provided by a twin launcher for Spike anti-tank guided missiles.
The Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle has been under development since 2014 under a contract signed on 24 October 2014 between the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) and a consortium of Polish entities led by Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW). The consortium included: OBRUM Research and Development Centre for Mechanical Devices, Rosomak S.A., Military Electronic Works (WZE), Military Engineering Works in Dęblin (now part of HSW), Military Motor Works (WZM), the War Studies University, the Military University of Technology (WAT), the Military Institute of Armoured and Automotive Technology, and the Warsaw University of Technology (MSPO 2025: HSW Showcases Model of the Ratel Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle).
🔥 Borsuk ma kły!
Załogi bojowych wozów piechoty Borsuk po raz pierwszy sprawdziły swoje umiejętności ogniowe w warunkach poligonowych. Żołnierze z 15 Brygady Zmechanizowanej zrealizowali premierowe strzelania, potwierdzając wysoki poziom wyszkolenia, profesjonalizm i pełną… pic.twitter.com/uSSXzwkx95
— Dowództwo Generalne (@DGeneralneRSZ) February 25, 2026
Pierwsze strzelanie bojowe BWP Borsuk za nami! 💥#Zawiszacy po raz pierwszy sprawdzili swoje umiejętności w zimowych warunkach poligonowych na nowoczesnych Borsuk BWP!@MON_GOV_PL @DGeneralneRSZ @SztabGenWP @16Dywizja @Polska_Zbrojna pic.twitter.com/ZEtPP4g2n2
— 15 Giżycka Brygada Zmechanizowana (@ZAWISZACY) February 26, 2026
