Newly Formed Polish Brigade Receives Rosomak APCs

The newly formed Polish 16th Motorized Brigade (16 Nidzicka Brygada Zmotoryzowana im. gen. dyw. Zygmunta Bohusz-Szyszko) has received domestic Rosomak APCs.

This was reported on the unit’s official Facebook page.

The armored personnel carriers are equipped with the HITFIST-30P turret developed by the Italian company OTO Melara, whose production is also established in Poland.

In a comment to Militarnyi, Damian Ratka, senior editor of Defence24, the largest Polish military publication, said that these armored personnel carriers are not new and were probably transferred from another unit. It is not known which one.

Previously, two Polish brigades, namely the 17th Greater Poland Brigade and the 21st Podhale Brigade, had armored personnel carriers with HITFIST-30P turrets.

“We can only assume that it may be from the 21st Podhale Rifle Brigade, which is receiving new Rosomak with ZSSW-30 turret, but I emphasize that there is no certainty,” Damian Ratka said about the likely origin of the armored personnel carriers in the 16th Motorized Brigade.

The ZSSW-30 is armed with a 30 mm Mk.44S automatic cannon adapted to use programmable ammunition. Its components are manufactured by Polish companies Huta Stalowa Wola SA, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa SA, Rosomak SA and WB Electronics SA.

The Polish Army received the first armored personnel carriers armed with the new ZSSW-30 combat module in 2023.

In July 2024, 58 more armored personnel carriers with new ZSSW-30 combat modules were ordered for the Polish Army.

Read about the experience of using these armored personnel carriers in Ukraine: Rosomak: a modern Polish APC in service with the Armed Forces of Ukraine

16th Nidzica Motorized Brigade

The formation of the new 16th Nidzica Motorized Brigade named after Major General Zygmunt Bogusz-Szyszko was announced in October 2023.

Organizationally, it is part of the 16th Mechanized Division and has inherited the traditions of the units of the 16th Pomeranian Infantry Division, which existed from 1918 to 1939.