MSPO 2026: PGZ unveils heavy IFV
A technology demonstrator of PGZ and HSW's Heavy IFV (HIFV), unveiled at MSPO 2026. (Jakub Link-Lenczowski)
Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) have publicly unveiled an advanced demonstrator of the companies' new Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (HIFV) at MSPO 2026 in Kielce, Poland, held from 8-11 September. The vehicle, previously known under the name Ratel, is being developed for the Polish Armed Forces as a heavily protected tracked IFV.
At MSPO 2025 HSW showed only a 1:4 scale model of the vehicle. At that time, the project was being developed under PGZ supervision, with HSW responsible for the design of the new tracked chassis, drawing on experience gained from the Borsuk IFV program and the Polish adaptation of the Polish-modified K9 chassis used by the Krab self-propelled howitzer.
The current demonstrator has a combat weight exceeding 40 tonnes, depending on the configuration of its modular armour. It uses an elongated, tracked chassis with seven road-wheel pairs delivered by the Polish PONAR company. The chassis is based on the Borsuk IFV; however, Arkadiusz Bąk, PGZ's Vice President, told Janes on 8 September that the project was redesigned to fulfill the specific HIFV requirements, including proper weight transmission to the tracks. Due to the PGZ announcements, the powerpack is rated at over 1,000 hp. PGZ states that the vehicle can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h and will have a range of up to 500 km.
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