Poland's HSW presents Heron 6×6 battery command vehicle

A Heron 6×6 artillery and air defence command vehicle, by Polish defence contractor Huta Stalowa Wola, displayed at its first major show MSPO 2024 from 3 to 6 September in Kielce, Poland. (Janes/Jakub Link-Lenczowski)

Polish defence contractor Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW) revealed its Heron 6×6 armoured command vehicle to provide expanded command-and-control (C2) capabilities for artillery and air defence batteries.

Larger than the Polish army's current 4×4 Waran light armoured vehicle serving in this role, the Heron can accommodate more personnel and equipment with better ballistic protection. The vehicle, displayed at its first major show – MSPO 2024 from 3 to 6 September in Kielce, Poland – is HSW's latest military vehicle.

Heron was developed as a platform with room to accommodate assets for C2 at battalion and brigade level. Its suitability for integrating battle management systems (BMSs) and headquarters management systems (HMSs) was tested during the Polish army's Field Experimentation Exercise (FEX) 2024.

Janes understands that Heron might be used as the command vehicle for Homar-K (K239 Chunmoo) multiple rocket launcher (MRL) batteries. Heron 6×6 is jointly developed by the Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW), part of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), and the Czech Tatra Export Company, part of Czech Group Tatra Trucks, based on the TADEAS 6×6 vehicle, with its Tatra Force T815-7 chassis.

For more information on domestic Polish military production, please seePoland orders LOTR light armoured reconnaissance vehicles , Poland orders more Rosomak APCs , HSW signs contract with Raytheon Polska on domestic production of M903 Patriot launchers , and Poland to procure Borsuk IFVs .