A new heavy infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) under development in Poland is underscoring a focus on higher battlefield survivability.
Known as Ratel, the vehicle is designed to withstand direct fire from medium-caliber artillery weapons, such as 30mm Bushmaster automatic cannons, at a distance of 500 meters (1,640 feet).
In its baseline configuration, the IFV weighs around 42 tons, with built-in capacity to scale up to 48 tons.
That 6-ton growth margin leaves room for additional armor packages, active protection systems, and mission-specific equipment, giving the platform flexibility beyond its standard setup.
According to Defense24, the Ratel IFV is being developed with internal funding by state-owned defense firm Huta Stalowa Wola.
Borsuk by Design
Ratel closely follows the design lineage of Poland’s Borsuk IFV, which has only recently begun entering service.
The two vehicles share a common chassis, propulsion, and combat systems, streamlining logistics and maintenance.
They also both use a pneumatic-hydraulic suspension with seven road wheels per side, along with an uprated MTU 8V199 engine producing 1,070 horsepower.
For firepower, Ratel is set to carry the ZSSW-30 remote-controlled combat module, the same turret used on the Borsuk IFV and other Polish armored vehicles, maintaining commonality across the fleet.
Modernization Demand
Ratel is emerging as part of a broader modernization push that calls for roughly 1,400 new armored vehicles across the Polish Army.
More than 1,000 of those are expected to be IFVs, with the remainder made up of specialized motorized platforms.
Prototype testing is planned by the end of 2026.
