Poland’s state-owned defense group PGZ has unveiled a new heavy infantry fighting vehicle at the MSPO 2026, marking a major step in the country’s effort to develop domestically produced armored platforms for high-intensity warfare.
The vehicle, known by its Polish designation Ciężki Bojowy Wóz Piechoty, or CBWP, was developed by Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), a PGZ subsidiary. The company presented a 1:4-scale model of the vehicle at last year’s MSPO and said it would return with a full-size, mobile demonstrator. The promised vehicle made its public debut on Sept. 8.
PGZ said the CBWP is designed to transport, protect and provide direct fire support to mechanized infantry units, with development focused on three priorities: firepower, crew and troop protection, and tactical mobility.
The vehicle weighs more than 40 tonnes, placing it in the heavy infantry fighting vehicle class used by several NATO militaries. Unlike Poland’s amphibious Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle, the CBWP was not designed around a requirement to swim, allowing engineers to devote more of the vehicle’s design to ballistic and mine protection.
The platform uses an extended tracked chassis and is being developed for operations alongside armored and mechanized formations. PGZ says the design is intended to maintain a high power-to-weight ratio despite the vehicle’s substantially greater weight than the Borsuk.
💥 OTO ON. CIĘŻKI BOJOWY WÓZ PIECHOTY. 🇵🇱
Po dniach odliczania i pokazywania tylko fragmentów odsłaniamy najważniejszą premierę PGZ na #MSPO2026.
CBWP to nowa ciężka platforma opracowana przez Hutę Stalowa Wola – z wysokim poziomem ochrony, dużą mobilnością i siłą ognia… pic.twitter.com/kazs4ciGMj
— Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa🇵🇱 (@PGZ_pl) September 8, 2026
ZSSW-30 turret and SPIKE missiles
The demonstrator is equipped with the remotely controlled ZSSW-30 turret, armed with a 30 mm cannon, programmable ABM ammunition and integrated SPIKE anti-tank guided missiles.
The turret’s day and night observation and targeting systems are intended to allow the vehicle to detect, identify and engage threats before they pose a direct danger to the unit. The use of a remotely operated turret also keeps operators inside the protected hull.
The CBWP is designed to carry a crew of three and between six and eight dismounted soldiers, depending on the final configuration.
PGZ says the vehicle’s protection suite includes ballistic and mine protection designed around STANAG standards, laser-warning sensors such as OBRA-3, smoke grenade launchers and an NBC protection system with filtration and ventilation. Specialized mine-resistant seats are intended to reduce the effects of explosions beneath the vehicle.
An auxiliary power unit provides electricity to onboard systems and allows climate-control and other equipment to operate independently of the main engine. PGZ said the electrical architecture could also facilitate the integration of future technologies, including directed-energy systems.
Modular design and Borsuk commonality
The CBWP has been designed as a development platform rather than a fixed configuration. PGZ said alternative turret systems and specialized versions could be considered as the program develops.
To reduce costs and simplify logistics, engineers have incorporated a number of components already used on the Borsuk, including the auxiliary power unit, filtration and ventilation system, heating equipment, periscopes and lighting components.
The modular architecture is also intended to allow future upgrades as military requirements evolve.
The approach reflects Poland’s broader effort to expand domestic production and integrate technologies developed across the PGZ industrial group. PGZ President Adam Leszkiewicz said the vehicle demonstrates that Polish companies have the engineering and manufacturing capabilities required to develop advanced combat platforms domestically.
Demonstrator precedes prototype development
The vehicle displayed at MSPO is a technology demonstrator, rather than a production-ready vehicle. PGZ said the project is now entering a key development phase involving further analytical and computational work before the final prototype is built.
The company plans to develop prototypes in 2027, with series production targeted for 2029, according to the information released for MSPO 2026.
The next phase will include integration of the powerpack and extensive testing under operational conditions, including full-scale assessments of armor and mine protection.
PGZ has not yet finalized all aspects of the vehicle’s configuration. Among the issues still under consideration is whether the troop compartment will be configured for six or eight soldiers.
The CBWP therefore represents an intermediate step between the initial concept and a future production vehicle. Its development will ultimately depend on further testing, engineering work and requirements agreed with the Polish Armed Forces.
The vehicle’s debut comes as PGZ seeks to expand domestic capacity across armored vehicles, artillery, ammunition, air defense, unmanned systems and other defense technologies. The company is presenting more than 300 military systems, products and components from 28 group companies at MSPO 2026.
The CBWP is intended to become one of the group’s key future land-combat platforms, building on Huta Stalowa Wola’s experience with the Borsuk and other tracked military vehicles while offering a heavier and more protected platform for mechanized formations.