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Poland’s New Recon Vehicle Gains Aselsan ARSUS 100 Mast for Persistent Surveillance and Targeting.
Aselsan has begun delivering ARSUS 100 mast-mounted reconnaissance suites for Poland’s LOTR Kleszcz armored reconnaissance vehicles based on AMZ-Kutno’s Bóbr-3. The upgrade strengthens frontline day and night ISR while aligning with the first 28-vehicle delivery window of 2026 to 2028 and a larger framework to 2035.
On 3 November 2025, Poland’s new LOTR/Kleszcz armored reconnaissance vehicles, derived from AMZ Kutno’s Bóbr-3 4×4, are being equipped with Aselsan’s ARSUS 100 mast-mounted reconnaissance and surveillance suite, as reported by Aselsan. The integration brings a multi-sensor, day-night surveillance capability onto Poland’s frontline scouts at a time when NATO’s eastern flank is prioritizing persistent border and critical-infrastructure vigilance. Aselsan has confirmed a sales contract with AMZ Kutno covering reconnaissance-surveillance masts for the Kleszcz program, the first execution under a broader Poland–Aselsan framework. This move signals a deeper Polish-Turkish industrial alignment and accelerates the fielding of networked ground ISR across the Polish Army.
Poland’s Bóbr-3/Kleszcz provides the protected, amphibious, road-and-off-road mobility envelope for reconnaissance patrols, while ARSUS 100 brings the fused sensing, auto-tracking and coordinates-grade target acquisition needed to shorten decision cycles and reinforce allied deterrence messaging in the region (Picture Source: Aselsan)
As a product pairing, AMZ Kutno’s Bóbr-3/Kleszcz and Aselsan’s ARSUS 100 are complementary by design. The Bóbr-3 is a 4×4 amphibious, STANAG-protected reconnaissance carrier selected to replace legacy BRDM-2 fleets; its LOTR/Kleszcz configuration adds a remote weapon station, amphibious mobility and a telescopic mast interface for sensors, giving five-person recon teams mobility and protection while they deploy sensors under armor. Poland signed a framework agreement for 286 LOTR/Kleszcz vehicles on 28 February 2024, with deliveries scheduled through 2026–2035; the first implementation contract for 28 vehicles was awarded on 14 August 2024.
ARSUS 100 consolidates ground surveillance radar, electro-optics and an inertial navigation unit on a single stabilized mast, enabling long-range detection with radar, followed by recognition and identification via day/night EO/IR, and then automatic target tracking. The system streams high-definition video, audio and target data in real time, levels sensors on sloped terrain, and provides high-accuracy coordinates for fire support, allowing the vehicle to act as a forward observer within digital C2 networks. It also supports C4I interfacing for rapid dissemination of intelligence across echelons. These are decisive gains for a 4×4 scout: stand-off observation, positive ID under adverse conditions, and immediate, coordinates-quality target handoff to artillery and fires cells.
What this gives Poland’s 4×4 formations is a fused-sensor kill-chain from detection to effects. A Bóbr-3/Kleszcz fitted with ARSUS 100 can park under cover, elevate the mast, cue radar to sweep for movers, slew-to-cue the EO turret for classification, then push precise grids over secure comms to higher headquarters or fires elements while maintaining track continuity on moving targets. In practical terms, that means border-area surveillance with fewer blind spots, faster target prosecution cycles, and the ability to collect, verify and share evidence-grade imagery across the force in seconds. The forward-observer functionality further compresses the sensor-to-shooter timeline for artillery units supporting maneuver brigades.
The advantages are cumulative at the formation level. Multi-sensor fusion reduces false alarms compared to EO-only masts; stabilized auto-tracking preserves custody on moving vehicles or small groups; and accurate coordinate generation allows fires to be delivered without exposing scouts. Because ARSUS is platform-agnostic and compact, it scales across Kleszcz batches and other vehicles if Poland chooses, building a distributed, vehicle-borne ground-surveillance network along critical axes. The robust design and data-linking sharpen mission sets that Poland prioritizes, reconnaissance, border security and site protection, while maintaining relevance for contingency operations with NATO partners.
Strategically, the delivery carries several implications. Militarily, Poland boosts its organic ISTAR and fires-cueing capacity with a domestically manufactured vehicle and an allied-produced sensor suite, reducing dependence on legacy Soviet-era systems and aligning with NATO standards for data dissemination. Geopolitically, the Aselsan–AMZ Kutno contract is a notable Turkey–Poland industrial tie that underwrites long-term support and potential co-engineering, while visibly reinforcing NATO’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance posture on the alliance’s northeast flank. Geostrategically, deploying vehicle-borne masts across brigades multiplies persistent ground surveillance at a time when low-altitude threats and cross-border incursions demand faster detection and attribution, and when coalition forces expect interoperable data feeds in combined operations.
On the contracting side, Aselsan states it has signed a sales contract with AMZ Kutno for surveillance masts destined for the Kleszcz fleet, the first realized under a broader framework signed in June and scoped to cover up to 286 reconnaissance-surveillance systems, with cooperation foreseen to 2035. Separately, Poland’s Armament Agency framework for 286 LOTR/Kleszcz vehicles runs 2026–2035, with the first execution contract for 28 vehicles signed on 14 August 2024. Public releases indicate that this initial 28-vehicle tranche is valued at roughly 800 million PLN, with deliveries planned for 2026–2028. Aselsan has not disclosed the value of the ARSUS 100 Poland package, but the synchronized timelines suggest sensor deliveries are phased alongside early Kleszcz production lots.
In capability terms, the pairing is timely. Poland’s Bóbr-3/Kleszcz provides the protected, amphibious, road-and-off-road mobility envelope for reconnaissance patrols, while ARSUS 100 brings the fused sensing, auto-tracking and coordinates-grade target acquisition needed to shorten decision cycles and reinforce allied deterrence messaging in the region. With deliveries of vehicles ramping from 2026 and Aselsan masts now contracted for the fleet, the Polish Army is positioning its scouts to see farther, classify faster and task fires with greater precision, exactly the attributes demanded by the operating picture on NATO’s eastern frontier.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.