Model of Ratel Heavy IFV Presented in Poland

Huta Stalowa Wola has revealed some of the characteristics of the promising Ratel infantry fighting vehicle, which is designed to meet the Polish army’s need for a highly protected battlefield vehicle.

The details of the project have been reported by Defence24 correspondents from the fields of the MSPO international exhibition in Kielce.

The heavy infantry fighting vehicle will be equipped with a high level of ballistic protection, entering the class of 40-ton vehicles with a combat weight of 42 tons and a maximum of 48 tons, which opens up wide prospects for modernization and further protection.

At the current stage of development, the Ratel is to receive the sixth class of ballistic protection (STANAG 4569), withstanding a frontal attack from a 30 mm Bushmaster II cannon from a distance of 500 meters.

The new vehicle will be deeply unified with the lighter Borsuk combat vehicle in terms of chassis. It will have a similar hydropneumatic suspension with a seven-roll bar, as well as a supercharged MTU 8V199 engine with a capacity of 1070 hp with a German or American transmission (RENK, Allison).

The weapon system was also unified by mounting the ZSSW-30 remote-controlled combat module, which is common on Polish armored vehicles.

It is armed with a 30-mm Mk.44S automatic cannon adapted for the use of programmable ammunition and a Spike-LR anti-tank system with guides for two missiles.

Defence24 journalists noted that six months after the first Ratel demonstration, the designers moved the exhaust system outlet from the upper frontal part to the aft part of the vehicle. This allowed them to remove a vulnerable area and potentially reduce the thermal signature of the IFV.

However, there were no signs of an active defense system on the mockup of the combat vehicle, which has become necessary following the experience of the Russian-Ukrainian war.

The internal structure of the vehicle corresponds to the classic design for this type of vehicle with the front L-shaped location of the engine and driver on the left side. They are followed by a combat compartment with a gunner and a commander, and then six or eight seats for paratroopers who will exit through the aft ramp.

In August 2023, a framework agreement was signed between the Polish Armaments Agency and the consortium Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Huta Stalowa Wola for the development and procurement of heavy armored personnel carriers for the Polish Army.

According to the original plan, the first samples were to be delivered to the military in 2025, but compliance with these deadlines remains in question.