According to Defense 24, Poland is in the final stages of negotiations on a contract to purchase up to 1,400 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles. Deputy Minister of National Defense Pawel Bejda confirmed that negotiations with the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) are close to completion, with an agreement expected soon. The contract was concluded after a series of tests and evaluations aimed at replacing outdated Soviet-era vehicles.
The Borsuk program was launched in 2014 as part of Poland's strategy to modernize its mechanized forces. The demonstrator was unveiled in 2017, followed by successive improvements to the prototype. Factory trials began in 2018, followed by military trials in 2020 and qualification trials in 2022. A framework agreement was signed in February 2023, providing for the purchase of 1,000 combat infantry fighting vehicles and 400 specialized support vehicles. The initial contract includes 159 units, with further contracts and deliveries scheduled to be completed by 2035.
The framework agreement includes specialized vehicles based on the Borsuk chassis, such as Żuk reconnaissance vehicles, Oset command vehicles, Gotem medical evacuation vehicles, Gekon technical support vehicles and Ares reconnaissance vehicles. The total value of the procurement program is projected to be in the range of several tens of billions of Polish zlotys.
Poland is purchasing the «Borsuk» to replace its Soviet-designed BMP-1. The first operational units are expected to be delivered in 2024, with the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division being given priority. The Borsuk BMP will operate alongside Poland's recently acquired main battle tanks, including the South Korean K2GF and K2PL Black Panther tanks, the American M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams tanks, and the German Leopard 2PL M1. The Borsuk will also replace the BWP-1 and BWP-1D BMPs, complementing the new KTO Rosomak and Rosomak-L BMPs.
The Borsuk is a tracked amphibious BMP equipped with the ZSSW-30 unmanned turret. It is armed with a 30 mm Mk44 Bushmaster II chain gun, a 7.62 mm UKM-2000S machine gun and a twin launcher for Spike-LR anti-tank guided missiles. The vehicle's hull consists of steel reinforced with composite or ceramic armor plates, providing ballistic protection according to the STANAG 4569 standard, level 4 at the front and level 3 at the sides. It is equipped with a 720 horsepower MTU 8V199 TE20 diesel engine, which works in tandem with a Perkins X300 gearbox.
The infantry fighting vehicle has a maximum speed of 65 km/h on roads and 8 km/h on water. The hydropneumatic suspension system improves mobility in various terrain conditions. At the MSPO 2024 exhibition, a new version of the M69 Rak self-propelled mortar with a turret was demonstrated. The integration of various variants into the Borsuk platform is consistent with Poland's broader defense modernization efforts, which include the acquisition of new main battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles to replace aging equipment.