The Polish Armed Forces are undergoing a transformation both in quality and quantity - we are expanding, strengthening and enhancing our capabilities to operate in all conditions and domains of the modern battlefield. Intensive modernization is underway. Whenever possible, we order the most modern equipment of Polish production.

 

NEW EQUIPMENT FOR THE POLISH ARMED FORCES

•    Patriots –an air defense system. They will meet Poland’s mid-range air defense needs. Poland has bought two Patriot batteries and is seeking to purchase six more. The integration of the first launchers is already underway on Polish soil.

•    Narew - or lower layer air defense. The first units of a short-range anti-aircraft missile system based on Camm missiles have already been introduced to the Polish Armed Forces.

•    With regards to the very short-range layer, our military is supplied with components of Polish production, including the Piorun sets, well-proven in combat conditions Poprad systems, and Pilica artillery sets.

•    Himars - highly effective long-range artillery. Deliveries of these multi-propelled rocket launchers will begin this year.

•    F-35 - a contract for the purchase of 32 fifth-generation F-35 multi-role aircraft for the Polish Air Force has been concluded. These are the most modern military aircraft in the world. The first fighters will enter their service in Poland as early as 2024.

•    Abrams - we have acquired 250 U.S. Abrams tanks in the state-of-the-art M1A2 SEPv3 configuration and 116 Abrams tanks of an older version. The first pieces of equipment serve already in Polish Armed Forces.

•    The Polish Armed Forces also consistently strengthen capabilities with modern Korean defense technologies. We have concluded contracts for 1,000 K2 tanks, 672 K9 howitzers, 48 FA-50 combat aircraft and 288 K239 Chunmoo rocket launchers.

•    We are purchasing the best Polish combat vehicles - Krab cannon howitzers and Rak self-propelled mortars. Soon there will be Ottokar Brzoza tank destroyers in the Polish Army’s equipment.

•    The Air Force has already received modern s-70i Black Hawk helicopters in a version intended for special forces. The AW101 and AW149 multi-role helicopters will soon be delivered to the Polish Armed Forces.

•    We concluded one of the largest contracts in the history of the Polish defense industry - we ordered more than a thousand new "Borsuk" infantry fighting vehicles.

•    We strengthen the Polish Navy - we have concluded one of the largest contracts for the construction of 3 missile frigates under the "Miecznik" program. The patrol corvette Ślązak and the first mine destroyers of the "Kormoran" program, as well as the B860 tugboats are already at sea.

•    Bayraktar - the first set of modern reconnaissance and combat drones is already in use of the Polish Armed Forces. The contract includes a total number of 24 drones.  We also possess an unmanned "Gladius" system, MQ-9A Reaper and combat-proven FlyEye drones, as well as Warmate circulating munitions. Soon soldiers will receive drone kits from a program code-named "Wizjer”.

•    Grot - we have significantly increased orders for exquisite Polish modular rifles. The quantity of battle-proven Grots in the Polish Armed Forces, thanks to concluded contracts and annexes, will reach a total of nearly 184,000. They will also be equipped with new, self-repeating selector rifles from the Polish armament industry which will enable effective target shooting at distances exceeding 800 meters.

•    Satellites - new imaging reconnaissance capabilities. We have signed a contract for proprietary satellites, and we already can utilize existing French solutions.

The numbers speak for themselves

Alongside intensive modernization, the size of the Polish Armed Forces increase continuously  - at the end of 2022, we reached the level of 164,000 soldiers. 2022 was a record year in terms of enlistments to professional military service as well - 13,742 soldiers, the highest number since the abolition of mandatory military conscript service. The long-term goal of at least 300,000 soldiers, including 50,000 soldiers of Territorial Defense and 250,000 professional soldiers, is realistic and will be consistently pursued.

We recreate the units disbanded by our predecessors and establish new formations - the 18th Mechanized Division, the 1st Legion Infantry Division - the first of which is already operational, and the second is being formed. The latter’s units will be located in i.a. Białystok, Kolno and Grajewo.

Since 2017, we develop the fifth type of Armed Forces in Poland - the Territorial Defense Forces. The Territorials, operating according to the motto "Always ready, always close", defend and support local communities, which was particularly noticeable during the pandemic, floods or other crises, including the situation on the Polish-Belarusian border.

In 2022, the Cyberspace Defense Forces Component Command was established, which became the basis for the Cyberspace Defense Forces - the formation responsible for ensuring security in the fifth operational domain, as defined at the NATO summit held in Warsaw in 2016.

Serving in the Polish Armed Forces - it pays off

The military is an attractive employer that guarantees clear and prospective conditions of employment - a transparent career path and steadily increasing income. In 2022, the lowest rate of basic salary of a professional soldier was set at PLN 4,560, an increase by 2,060 PLN, or 82.4%, compared to 2015. The average salary, on the other hand, is quite a bit higher, exceeding PLN 6,000. This is supplemented by numerous incentives and allowances for, among other things, qualifications (up to PLN 5,250), acquired also through the help from the Armed Forces. We have introduced another incentive benefit to encourage soldiers to stay in the service - after 15 years of service, servicemen and women will receive an additional 5% of their salary and then an extra 1% for each consecutive year (up to a maximum of 15% after 25 years of service). Those who complete 25 years of military service, but no more than 28 years and 6 months, will receive yet another allowance of PLN 1,500 per month, and those who exceed 28 years and 6 months of military service - PLN 2,500 per month.

A strong Poland is a safe Poland - including in the international arena

We strengthen Poland's position in the international arena - an example of appreciation of these efforts was the organization of the 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw. The decisions that were made there and then laid the foundation for increased Allied involvement in our region - owing to that initiative taken during the summit today there are more than 10,000 soldiers of Allied forces in Poland, who together with our troops watch over our common security.  

Poland has become an important player in the international arena and is making an active contribution to building the global security system - we contribute with our land contingents to Latvia (as part of the NATO eFP program), Romania (NATO tFP) and the Central African Republic (as part of the EUTM RCA mission), air contingents to the Baltic States (Baltic Air Policing), and maritime contingents with ships serving at the NATO Response Forces.

Our attitude, policy and diplomatic actions result in concrete decisions - it was in Poland that the command of the V Corps of US Ground Forces was established. Since the autumn of 2020, a forward command post of this unit has operated from Poznań, coordinating the activities of US ground forces in Europe. A number of significant investments resulting from the signed EDCA (Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement) in 2020, between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the United States of America on enhanced defense cooperation, are being implemented.

Support for Ukraine

Poland is one of the leaders and greatest donors of aid to embattled Ukraine, both humanitarian and military. The Ukrainians are already using several hundred tanks donated by Poland, as well as other types of equipment including Grot rifles, Piorun anti-aircraft sets and Krab cannon howitzers - each piece of donated equipment is used to defend against Russia's brutal and unwarranted aggression.  We also train Ukrainian soldiers in the use of Leopard tanks. Thanks to our efforts, Patriot batteries and Leopard tanks, offered first by our country, will go to Ukraine. We are constantly engaged in training assistance, among others, as part of the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM) to Ukraine - the operational command of this mission is commanded by Polish  Major General Piotr Trytek.

Recent years have been a good time for Polish defense and our common security