WARSAW — May 30, 2026 : Poland has finalized a major package of defense procurement contracts valued at 60 billion PLN (approximately €14.18 billion) with domestic manufacturer Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), financed through the European Union’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) initiative. The SAFE mechanism, valued at €150 billion, is intended to help European Union member states modernize military capabilities through defense-related financing.
The contracts were expedited by Poland’s Armaments Agency ahead of the May 2026 deadline for signing unilateral procurement agreements under the SAFE framework. Under the terms of the agreements, all contracted equipment is scheduled for delivery to the Polish Armed Forces by 2030, supporting Warsaw’s ongoing ground force modernization program.
Expansion of the Borsuk Infantry Fighting Vehicle Program
A central element of the procurement package is an executive order for 146 additional Borsuk Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs), valued at approximately 7.5 billion PLN ($2.07 billion). The contract follows an earlier March 2025 agreement worth 6.6 billion PLN for 111 vehicles, increasing Poland’s confirmed Borsuk orders to 257 units.
The current acquisition package is expected to equip four mechanized infantry battalions, while 25 vehicles will be reserved for training purposes. The procurement also forms part of a broader framework agreement signed in 2023, covering the potential acquisition of nearly 1,400 tracked vehicles built on the Universal Modular Tracked Platform.
Developed domestically to replace Soviet-era BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicles, the Borsuk weighs 28 metric tons and carries a crew of three alongside six infantry troops. The platform is powered by an MTU 8V199 turbo diesel engine and retains an open-water amphibious crossing capability, allowing mobility across rivers and water obstacles.
The vehicle is equipped with the ZSSW-30 unmanned turret, jointly developed by HSW and WB Group. The system integrates a 30mm Mk44S Bushmaster II autocannon alongside two Spike-LR anti-tank guided missiles, providing anti-armor and infantry support capabilities.
To meet expected production requirements, HSW introduced a dual-shift manufacturing model in the third quarter of 2025 and is targeting an output capacity of approximately 100 Borsuk vehicles annually by mid-2026.
Artillery, Mortars, and Support Systems
Beyond the Borsuk procurement, the 60 billion PLN package includes a broad range of artillery systems and supporting equipment manufactured by HSW.
The agreements include 96 AHS Krab 155mm self-propelled howitzers, intended to form four Regina modular artillery battalions. The Krab system combines a modified South Korean K9 Thunder chassis with a turret derived from the British AS-90M Braveheart design and can fire extended-range projectiles at distances of up to approximately 40 kilometers.
Poland has also approved procurement of more than 1,000 support vehicles for the Homar-K multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) fleet. The Homar-K is Poland’s domestically integrated variant of the South Korean K239 Chunmoo system, mounted on Jelcz 8×8 vehicles and designed to provide long-range rocket artillery capabilities.
Additional support vehicles will be acquired for six K9PL-equipped artillery battalions, complementing Poland’s wider artillery modernization effort under the K9 program.
Further contracts include 64 RAK-120 self-propelled mortars, accompanied by support vehicles for eight mortar companies. The 120mm mortar system, mounted on the Rosomak armored platform, is capable of delivering rapid indirect fire support.
The procurement package additionally covers 11 Bobak-K mine-laying systems, dozens of Waran armored personnel carriers designated for artillery support roles, and refinancing arrangements for existing Rosomak wheeled armored vehicles integrated with the ZSSW-30 turret, shifting those contracts under the SAFE financing structure rather than creating new procurement orders.
Poland’s SAFE Financing and Domestic Industrial Policy
Poland has emerged as the largest beneficiary of the EU SAFE initiative, securing approximately €43.7 billion (around 190 billion PLN) in defense-related loans. Warsaw has directed that roughly 90 percent of SAFE funding be spent domestically, supporting the national defense industry and an estimated 10,000 companies across Poland’s supply chain network.
HSW, a subsidiary of the state-owned Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) defense group, is expected to play a central role in delivering the systems covered by the agreements.
The acquisitions are intended to strengthen Poland’s broader military modernization effort by improving integration between mechanized infantry, armored formations, artillery systems, and battlefield support capabilities, complementing recently acquired platforms including K2 main battle tanks, HIMARS launchers, Homar-K systems, and K9PL self-propelled artillery.
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