Badgers have settled in on the ground

The course takes six weeks and is divided into 2 basic parts: theoretical training at HSW facilities and applicable training at the Field Training Centre of the Land Forces – Oak. The hangers moved to the field in late October, having at their disposal respective Badgers – any of those in which the Grzyżycka brigade will be equipped in about a month. Before this happens, however, crews must take applicable classes, including driving in hard terrain conditions. At this stage, however, soldiers do not have a chance to check swimming possibilities Borsuka. The first water obstacles will be overcome after the BWP is admitted to the brigade.

The field training under the supervision of the manufacturer's instructors shall besides include shooting day and night, in place, while driving and during short stops. The BWP Borsuk is armed with the ZSSW-30 (remotely controlled tower system) with a 30 mm caliber cannon, a 7.62 mm caliber firearm and a PPK Spike launcher. These are very akin systems that the mechanized brigade soldiers know from KTO Rosomak. In addition, the common component of the caterpillar Borsuka cannot be placed in the same row with the wheeled Rosomak. The second is simply a mobile logistics-desant and patrol platform lighter and faster on a paved road. He can besides transport 2 more soldiers than BWP. Badger, in turn, is simply a modern floating infantry combat car, designed for direct support of fire landing and fighting another vehicles. Thanks to the caterpillar platform, it can scope an inaccessible location for Rosomak and moves in hard terrain much faster than the 8 × 8 wheeled transporter.

– Thanks to caterpillar vehicles, the infantry subdivisions can scope wherever the tanks are, and overcome the aquene (without the vehicle being prepared in advance). This is simply a very large difference to wheel transporters. Infantry must fight with tanks or be supported by these armored units, so in hard terrain the fresh BWP is irreplaceable – says Major Andrzej Seweryniak, commander of 1st Battalion of Mechanized Swordsmen of Mazowiecki 15 BZ. The officer emphasizes that the admission of Badgers to mechanized subunits marks the beginning of a fresh era for the unit. – Combat infantry cars that we have utilized so far are over 45 years old, so the technological leap is huge. Networkocentricity, targeting, data transfer via the satellite are only a fewer advantages of Borsuk, thanks to which we will accomplish completely fresh capabilities, at a global level," said Major Severyniak.

The 15 crews that are presently training in Podkarpacie are not the first 15 BZ soldiers to have had the chance to learn about the possibilities of Badger. The hangers had already been typed on the first users of fresh cars a fewer years ago, participated in carrying out tests of the fresh BWP at the camp in Orzysz and made suggestions to designers. – 1 of our comments was about paint covering the ramp. After rain or snow, the ramp became slippery, resulting in many slips of soldiers. The hut modified this by applying a peculiar anti-slip mat to the ramp and inside the vehicle – the Chor says. Peter Krauz of 15 BZ. The Petty Officer stresses that the maker has taken into account more of these modifications suggested by the soldiers.

The Borsuk task was initiated in 2014 in consequence to the needs of the Polish Armed Forces. The programme for the construction of the modern BWP assumed advanced mobility of the car, swimming ability, peculiar armor, a modern turret with a 30 mm cannon and an anti-tank guided rocket launcher and integration with network-centric systems. The wagon is operated by a three-man crew and can carry up to six landing troops. With advanced sensors and weapons, it can act as a reconnaissance platform and fire support. The armor protects the crew and infantry soldiers from gunfire, anti-tank grenade launchers and IED (improvised explosive device). In the Mechanized Battalion, Badger will be the primary means of transport and support for infantry troops.

The military, specifically the huffers, will receive the Badgers based on the first executive agreement worth about PLN 6.5 billion signed by the Armed Forces Agency and consortium of PGZ and HSW companies in March 2025. It assumes the transportation of 111 combat infantry vehicles, training, logistics package, etc. between 2025 and 2029. 2 years earlier, the parties had concluded a framework agreement which is to consequence in the transfer of about 1.4 1000 vehicles to the Polish Army on the universal modular caterpillar platform (UMPG), including over 1000 Badgers and respective 100 specialist vehicles. Among another things, there are medical evacuation vehicles Gotem and method safety vehicles Gekon, whose projects are developed in HSW.