New Player in Poland’s Armored Programme [DEFENCE24 EXCLUSIVE]
According to unofficial information obtained by Defence24.pl, a new player has joined the group of bidders – one that possesses a vehicle whose production is now being accelerated.
For some time, it has been known that two purchasing routes for the Heavy IFV were under consideration: either acquiring technology from a foreign partner and integrating it with domestic elements – including the ZSSW-30 turret already used on Rosomak and Borsuk vehicles – or independently developing the vehicle, as recently declared by Huta Stalowa Wola. As for the purchase of a chassis for the Heavy IFV from abroad, the constructs under consideration have included the German Lynx, the Korean Redback, the Turkish Tulpar, as well as the American AMPV from BAE Systems and the Spanish ASCOD.
However, according to unofficial information from Defence24.pl, another player is also vying for a role in the program. This refers to Great Britain. The British are interested in offering Poland the integration of the chassis developed for the Ajax multi-role reconnaissance vehicle, configured as a Heavy IFV, along with the Polish ZSSW-30 turret.
theoderich hat geschrieben: ↑Fr 10. Mai 2024, 12:41
HSW reveals Ratel heavy IFV concept
Poland's Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) has revealed a model of a heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV) called Ratel. The new vehicle is under development as an addition to the lighter, floating Borsuk IFV, which is currently being delivered to the Polish Army.
The main goal of the Ratel design is the survivability of crew and dismounts. The 40 tonne IFV is expected to deliver “the highest standards” in ballistic and mine protection, according to HSW. It is also fitted with the Obra-3 protection and laser warning system, as well as a nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) protection suite. Optionally, an active protection system (APS) may be mounted.
Ratel will be armed with a ZSSW-30 remote weapon system (RWS) fitted with a 30/40 mm cannon and an integrated twin Spike-LR (long range) anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) launcher. As displayed at MSPO 2025, Ratel would be operated by a two-man crew (commander and driver) and could carry six to eight dismounts.
