On August 14, 2023, Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak approved a framework contract with a consortium including the Polish state defense industrial association Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA (PGZ) and the Huta Stalowa Wola SA (HSW) plant, which is part of it, for the development and subsequent supply of approximately 700 heavy infantry fighting vehicles of a new type to the Polish Army.
Preliminary visualization of the appearance of the Polish perspective heavy infantry fighting vehicle Ciężki Bojowy Wóz Piechoty (CBWP) (c) Armament Agency of the Ministry of National Defense of Poland
Delivery of the first samples of a promising heavy infantry fighting vehicle for testing is scheduled for 2025. It is reported that the promising Polish heavy infantry fighting vehicle Ciężki Bojowy Wóz Piechoty (CBWP) will be created on the basis of the chassis of the Polish 155 mm/52 Krab self-propelled howitzer, which is the chassis of the South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer manufactured in Poland at HSW under license. A new Polish remotely controlled uninhabited combat module ZSSW-30, jointly produced by HSW and WB Electonics, will be installed on this chassis with a specially designed armored hull. This module is designed to install the tank on the new Polish Borsuk BMP ("light") and new modifications of the Rosomak wheeled armored personnel carrier. The ZSSW-30 module is equipped with a 30 mm Northrop Grumman Mk 44S Bushmaster II automatic cannon, a 7.62mm machine gun paired with it and two Rafael Spike-LR ATGM launchers.
The vehicle will have a crew of three and will carry eight paratroopers. The main purpose of CBWP in the Polish army will be to interact with tank units equipped with Abrams tanks, therefore, this IFV should be characterized by a high level of ballistic and mine protection, as well as an increased level of mobility. The permissible total combat weight of the CBWP is estimated at more than 40 tons, and for this reason it does not need to overcome water obstacles by swimming. For comparison, the maximum combat weight of the Borsuk BMP is 28 tons.
Recall that in February 2023, the Polish Ministry of National Defense signed a framework contract with the same consortium PGZ and HSW to supply the Polish Army with more than 1,000 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles and more than 300 special vehicles based on them.
Earlier, the Polish military considered the new AS21 Redback BMP of the South Korean Hanwha group, recently selected by the Australian army, as a candidate for the role of a "heavy" IFV, but in the end the Polish side decided to independently develop an IFV on the chassis of the South Korean K9 self-propelled gun.
