Until now, the Borsuk could only be seen in Poland, either as a static display during the Air Show 2023 in Radom or during the parade celebrating the Polish Armed Forces Day in Warsaw. Abroad, this vehicle has only appeared in publications. The Paris Eurosatory is one of the world’s most important defense industry exhibitions, making it an excellent opportunity to present the Borsuk to a wider audience. The opportunity is even better given that the amphibious IFV from Stalowa Wola recently completed its qualification trial program. This information is still unofficial, as the test report is still being finalized, and the official information on its results is not yet available. However, there are signals indicating positive results. One of these is a statement by Krzysztof Trofiniak, the president of PGZ, given to the daily Rzeczpospolita, in which he mentioned that he expects a contract for the delivery of Borsuks to the Polish Army to be signed later this year.
The NBPWP Borsuk transported on a flatbed trailer to the Eurosatory 2024 exhibition site / Photo: Huta Stalowa Wola
And here is how the Borsuk looks after being set up at the PGZ booth / Photo: Huta Stalowa Wola
Qualification trials
In April of this year, the qualification trials for the Borsuk were completed. The tests began in the summer of 2022. Originally, they were supposed to conclude in 2023, but ultimately, they lasted several months longer. The delay may be due to Huta Stalowa Wola making some design changes during the trials to address the so-called teething problems of the new vehicle. This is important information, indicating that the manufacturer is effectively responding to emerging issues, which will ensure that the production models will be free of most of the defects that appear in the initial period of operation.
Borsuk at the Military Proving Ground in Orzysz / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
The tests performed within the qualification trial program were conducted in cooperation with the Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology (WITPiS), as well as in proving ground training centers. Soldiers from the 16th Mechanized Division also familiarized themselves with the operation of the new vehicle, conducting trial operations with the Borsuks at the Military Proving Ground in Orzysz in the fall of last year.
The soldiers of the 16th Mechanized Division will be the first to receive the new infantry fighting vehicles from Stalowa Wola. Therefore, they had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the vehicle and provide their comments and observations regarding the need for any changes to enhance the functionality of the Borsuk.
The Borsuk underwent a comprehensive testing program that included traction and off-road capability tests, deep water obstacle crossing tests, and assessments of ballistic and mine protection effectiveness. The vehicle’s telecommunication and information equipment was also tested.
Presentation of the Borsuk’s maximum speed at the training ground in Nowa Dęba / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
Tests concluded this past winter also included firing of 30 mm cannons installed in the ZSSW-30, the unmanned turret developed in cooperation between Huta Stalowa Wola and the WB Group. The tests conducted at the training ground in Nowa Dęba included firing both from a stationary and a moving vehicle. Firing was conducted at both static and moving targets. In all cases, the Borsuk’s armament demonstrated its high effectiveness.
The testing of the new Stalowa Wola vehicle was conducted by the Testing Group from the Military Institute of Armored and Automotive Technology and took place under the supervision of the Qualification Testing Commission. The commission includes representatives from the Armament Agency, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, the General Command of the Armed Forces, the Support Inspectorate of the Armed Forces, the Department of Innovation of the Ministry of National Defense, the 15th Mechanized Brigade, the National Centre for Research and Development, and the manufacturer – Huta Stalowa Wola.
Borsuks on the Warsaw Wisłostrada during a rehearsal for the parade celebrating Polish Armed Forces Day / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
New solutions in Borsuk
During the parade celebrating Polish Armed Forces Day on August 15, 2023, the public had the opportunity to see four vehicles that participated in the trials. Attentive observers noticed that one of the vehicles was equipped with new elastomer tracks, which were one of the elements tested during the trials program. According to information obtained from Huta Stalowa Wola in February of this year, the test results for these tracks were very promising. They have a longer lifespan than traditional tracks, are lighter, which improves the Borsuk’s buoyancy, provide better traction properties, and are more road-friendly on paved surfaces. Furthermore, their resistance to damage from explosive charges is so high that the explosive force needed to destroy the elastomer track would also damage other components of the running gear. Therefore, there is little risk of track breakage that would paralyze the Borsuk’s mobility. Additionally, elastomer tracks are easy to replace. The only drawback is that they are a single integral element, meaning there is no possibility of replacing a damaged section as with traditional tracks, where individual links can be replaced.
Two Borsuks equipped with different types of tracks. On the left, the vehicle with traditional tracks, on the right, the vehicle with elastomer tracks / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
In addition to technical tests, four Borsuks were delivered to a Polish Army unit, where they are undergoing evaluations in a systemic environment of a frontline unit. This will accelerate the process of developing combat usage guidelines for the Borsuks. Four units are sufficient to verify operational assumptions at the level of the smallest subunit in a mechanized division.
The concept of conducting trial operations with four Borsuks emerged shortly after the first unit was presented. The goal was to shorten the trial operation period and develop a concept for utilizing the vehicle’s capabilities before its widespread deployment in military units begins.
International premiere of Borsuk
In the context of the completion of the trials, it is worth mentioning that this past winter, Huta Stalowa Wola presented a new turret with the Rak mortar (HSW modernizes the Rak mortar). Although this solution was mainly designed for the new light tracked chassis, HSW management representatives pointed out the possibility of installing it on the Borsuk chassis. The weight of such a configuration allows the vehicle to retain its amphibious capabilities. Although a Borsuk in this configuration has not yet been created, it can be expected that such a configuration will also appear in trials in the near future.
As for the ZSSW-30 remotely controlled turret, it is currently integrated with the Spike LR/LR2 anti-tank missile launcher. In the future, it may also be integrated with other anti-tank missiles.
Demonstration of the Borsuk’s maneuverability / Photo: Grzegorz Sobczak, MILMAG
Let us recall that the framework agreement signed by the Ministry of National Defense (MON) includes the delivery of 1,400 Borsuks. This number includes several hundred chassis for special configurations.
The presentation of the Borsuk at Eurosatory may be a signal that PGZ is interested in offering this vehicle to customers from other countries. Will HSW’s production capacity be sufficient to meet the needs of both the Polish Army and foreign customers simultaneously? We do not know the answer to this question yet, although it seems that HSW will be operating at full production capacity for the next few years (producing more than just Borsuks).
Another question mark is the full results of the recently concluded tests, although many indicators suggest that the Borsuk will meet the military’s expectations.
🇵🇱Pierwsze tango Borsuka w Paryżu – taniec z gwiazdą🌟
🇫🇷Le Premier Tango du #Borsuk à Paris – Danse avec la Star🌟#pgz🇵🇱 #HSW🇵🇱 #Eurosatory🇫🇷 @MON_GOV_PL @MSZ_RP @MAPGOVPL @PLenFrance @cogeseurosatory @Polska_Zbrojna @Defence24pl @EuroPAPNews @tvp_info @tvn24 @PolsatNewsPL pic.twitter.com/udOpygeKUy— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) June 14, 2024