On Thursday, 4 December 2025, in Stalowa Wola, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda, and the head of the Armament Agency, Lt. Gen. Artur Kuptel, took part in a ceremony at Huta Stalowa Wola, during which the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) handed over to the Polish Armed Forces the first 15 serial-production Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles.
Photos: Krzysztof Niedziela/MOND
“Today here at Huta Stalowa Wola we are joined above all by the employees of this remarkable factory. (…) We are very proud of you. I would like to begin by thanking you, because today is a great day for the Polish Armed Forces and a great day for the security of the Polish state. (…) We are witnesses, but also co-authors of this event, and you are the direct executors of something that for 12 years was an ambition, an effort, and even earlier, a dream of all those who want to build a safe Poland. Fifteen Borsuks for the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade—this is now a fact. They will soon be in the hands of our soldiers. I am pleased to see the commanders of the 16th Division and the 15th Brigade here, as well as all the soldiers who will operate this equipment and master it one hundred percent, because that is when all our efforts are truly crowned,” the Deputy Prime Minister said at Huta Stalowa Wola.”
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“I would like to mention my distinguished predecessor, Minister Tomasz Siemoniak, who in 2013 was Minister of National Defence and launched this entire development process. I thank all those who later did not reverse Minister Siemoniak’s decision and continued the project until the moment when we accelerated it in 2024–2025, thanks to which it became a reality and we were able to conclude the implementing contract and prepare another one, as the company president has just said, for 111 Borsuks. This is not our last word. Together with Minister Bejda, with General Kuptel, the head of the Armament Agency, we are preparing another order for the next batch of Borsuks for the Polish Armed Forces. Of course, work is also underway, and I would like to announce this, on modifications. (…) Other variants will also be needed, equally important: command vehicles, support vehicles for chemical units. We are working across all these programs on various modifications, both amphibious and those that will not require amphibious capabilities. Our Borsuks do not go into winter sleep. Our Borsuk does not rest, it is ready to work all year round, ready for operational tasks every day of the year, in any conditions in which it may be required to operate,” said the Minister of National Defence during a meeting with soldiers and employees of Huta Stalowa Wola (Polish company HSW signs agreement with U.S. firm Allison Transmission Inc.).
The handover of the first 15 Borsuk IFVs to the Polish Armed Forces marks the implementation of the first execution contract, signed on 27 March 2025. The agreement, concluded between the Armament Agency, representing the State Treasury of the Republic of Poland, and a consortium comprising the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ S.A.) and Huta Stalowa Wola, concerns the delivery of 111 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles. The contract is valued at approximately 6.57 billion PLN gross. Deliveries are scheduled for 2025–2029. The agreement also includes, among other elements, a training and logistics package (First serial Borsuks contracted).
“From the initial concept, assumptions, phased testing, and overall refinement of the product, all of this, unfortunately, means that the process takes a long time. I would like the next solutions, the next variants we are working on, to take less time, because we do not have much of it. (…) Huta Stalowa Wola is a source of pride not only for Stalowa Wola, for the local authorities, and for the residents, it is a source of pride for all of Podkarpacie and a source of Polish pride. This is where defense industry plants truly matter,” the Deputy Prime Minister emphasized.
The signing of the execution contract was the result of the framework agreement dated 28 February 2023, which aimed to define the rules and conditions for concluding individual execution 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 Polish Armed Forces.
As a result of this framework agreement, approximately 1,400 vehicles will be procured over the course of the entire program, including specialist variants such as Żuk tracked reconnaissance carriers, Oset tracked command vehicles, Gotem medical evacuation vehicles, Gekon technical support vehicles, and Ares CBRN reconnaissance carriers.
On 28 April 2022, an additional four prototypes (in addition to the first one ordered) were contracted, which were used to conduct tests in a system environment.
“The Borsuk was tested in the 15th Giżycko Mechanized Brigade by soldiers who issued an unequivocal assessment: the Borsuk is an excellent infantry fighting vehicle. Our soldiers are waiting for this ‘child’ born here at Huta Stalowa Wola, because this IFV not only fills the gaps left by old, obsolete equipment, but also provides a sense of security to the troops. (…) I want to thank everyone who, since 2013, has undertaken the effort to ensure that the Polish Army is equipped with modern and safe equipment. A huge round of applause for you, for the designers, the engineers, for all those who were visionaries. A huge round of applause for you, the workers of Huta Stalowa Wola. Let me tell you that this is not the last order for the Polish defence industry. And as the Prime Minister said, we are placing an equal sign between the state-owned defence industry, under the Polish Armaments Group, and the private defence industry. You are all needed. All hands on deck in view of what is now happening beyond our eastern border, in Ukraine. The security of Poland is the priority,” said Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda, responsible within the ministry for the modernization of the Polish Army.
The President of the PGZ Management Board, Adam Leszkiewicz, emphasized the importance of the Borsuk for the Polish Army:
“Nine months after signing the first execution contract, we are handing over to soldiers the first 15 Borsuks, the most modern amphibious infantry fighting vehicles in their class. I say this with undisguised pride, because the Borsuks are the result of the work of the Polish defence industry. I emphasize the word ‘Polish’ because, although the Borsuk is produced here at Huta Stalowa Wola, the success of the Borsuk, its groundbreaking design and efficient production, would not have been possible without the effective and productive cooperation between the Polish Armaments Group and the leading companies of the domestic private defense sector. Together we created a vehicle that soldiers have been waiting for and that will constitute a radical strengthening of the combat capabilities of the Land Forces. It is also proof that the Polish Armaments Group and the entire Polish defence industry are effectively fulfilling their mission of strengthening the defence capabilities of the Republic of Poland,” the president said.
“Today we are handing over to the Polish Armed Forces a thoroughly modern design, heavily armed, with high tactical mobility, providing a very high level of ballistic and mine resistance, and, in accordance with the Customer’s requirements, fully amphibious. We take pride in the fact that the Borsuk is the result of work by Polish specialists. It is proof that our country has excellent engineering teams capable of designing military equipment and weaponry at the highest global level. At the same time, considering that the production of the Borsuk is the result of cooperation with our partners from the private defense sector, we can see that the Polish Armaments Group is successfully fulfilling its role as an integrator of the national defense industry,” said Arkadiusz Bąk, First Vice President of the Polish Armaments Group.
The Borsuk IFV, built on the Universal Modular Tracked Platform (UMPG), is equipped with the 30 mm Remote-Controlled Turret System (ZSSW-30). The crew consists of three soldiers: the commander, the weapon operator, and the driver. The vehicle is intended to transport six soldiers to the battlefield while providing an appropriate level of protection, and to carry out tasks related to supporting infantry units using its onboard weapons. Using these weapons, the vehicle can engage enemy infantry, armored vehicles, aerial targets, and other objects employed by the adversary, in all weather conditions and at any time of day. The vehicle is characterized by high mobility and the ability to overcome terrain obstacles, including water obstacles by swimming, and can be operated in various climatic conditions. Its maximum speed on paved roads is 65 km/h, and 8 km/h in water. The combat weight in the baseline configuration is 28 metric tons.
The ZSSW-30 remote-controlled turret system is armed with a 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 turret also integrates a modified 7.62 mm UKM-2000C machine gun as auxiliary armament. Additional firepower is provided by a dual launcher for anti-tank guided missiles (Delivery of Mk 44/S Bushmaster II cannons for serial-production Borsuks).
The Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle has been under development since 2014, based on an agreement 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. The consortium included: the OBRUM Research and Development Centre for Mechanical Appliances, Rosomak, Military Electronic Works, Military Engineering Works in Dęblin (now part of HSW), Military Automotive Works, the War Studies University, the Military University of Technology, the Military Institute of Armoured and Automotive Technology, and the Warsaw University of Technology (MSPO 2025: HSW showcased the model of the Ratel Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle).
Based on press release
