On Thursday, September 10, 2026, during the 34th International Defence Industry Exhibition (MSPO 2026) at Targi Kielce, Bielsko-Biała-based Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne announced on social media that the previous day it had received the State Security Leader award in the Innovative Product category and the Grand Prix in the Innovative Company category.
Photos: Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne
As stated in the press release:
Our solutions have been recognized — twice. On September 9, during the final gala in Kielce, we received the award in the “Innovative Product” category and the Grand Prix in the “Innovative Company” category.
The “State Security Leader” is a nationwide competition recognizing companies whose activities and solutions support uniformed services and national security.
This is an important distinction for us and a recognition of the work of our entire team. For more than 30 years, we have been developing and manufacturing specialized vehicles in response to the requirements of uniformed services.
We would like to thank the Competition Jury for recognizing our activities. This is a motivation for us to continue developing and creating further solutions for the services.
Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne received the State Security Leader award in the Innovative Product category for a heavy recovery and technical rescue vehicle built on the Scania R520 8×8 HZ chassis, developed and manufactured for the Swedish Armed Forces.
The vehicle is designed for operational support, including the recovery and towing of damaged or immobilized vehicles in demanding terrain and combat conditions. The design is based on a Scania R520 8×8 chassis powered by a 520 hp (383 kW) engine and fitted with a three-person cab. Its equipment includes five winches, including a main Sepson Septrac winch with a pulling capacity of 9 to 20 tonnes, as well as a boom-mounted main crane with a lifting capacity of 24 tonnes, one auxiliary crane rated at 15 tonnes and two auxiliary cranes rated at 10 tonnes each. In addition, the vehicle carries nearly 300 rescue accessories, including a self-recovery winch with a pulling capacity of 11.7 tonnes. The vehicle’s gross vehicle weight is 52 tonnes.
Photo: Jakub Link-Lenczowski, MILMAG
The vehicle forms part of a contract being carried out for the Swedish Armed Forces, signed on March 19, 2026 with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV, Försvarets materielverk), an agency under the Swedish Ministry of Defence, for the delivery of 35 heavy recovery and technical rescue vehicles. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027–2029. The contract marks another stage in the company’s expansion on the Scandinavian market, as it follows a four-year framework agreement signed on February 17, 2025 and valued at 600 million SEK (225.29 million PLN at the time), with an option to extend it by a further three years. The first amendment under that agreement covered a batch of 10 vehicles.
Szczęśniak Pojazdy Specjalne is a Polish family-owned manufacturer of specialized vehicles that has been active on the market for 34 years. For many years, the company has supplied specialized vehicles to rescue services and armed forces in Poland and abroad, while expanding its presence, among others, on European markets.
The company already has experience in building military vehicles of this type. For the Heavy Wheeled Recovery and Technical Rescue Vehicle (CKPEiRT) Hardun program for the Polish Armed Forces, in cooperation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Military University of Technology and the Military Institute of Armoured and Automotive Technology, it developed and offered the KWZT-1 Mamut vehicle on the Tatra T815-7Z0R9T 44 440 8×8.1R chassis. The competition was ultimately won by Rosomak, part of the Polish Armaments Group, which interestingly offered a vehicle based on the now-discontinued Scania CB 8×8 chassis. The Mamut nevertheless later served as the basis for the development of the KWZT-2 for the armed forces of Saudi Arabia and the KWZT-3 for the Czech Republic.
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