On September 29-30, a conference of the Polish defense sector was held in Warsaw, during which the country's leadership officially and publicly presented plans for the "transformation of the Polish Army." Among other things, the programs for further equipping the Ground Forces with new types of weapons have been published.
According to the information provided, currently the Polish armored and mechanized troops have 247 Leopard 2 tanks of three modifications, 301 T-72 units, 233 – RT-91 and 1104 – BMP-1. Two tank fleet renewal programs are being implemented: the first concerns the modernization of the Leopard 2A4 to the Leopard 2PL version, the second is the modification of T-72 tanks to the level of T-72AR and T-72M1R.
In addition, the procedure for the purchase of 250 M1A2 Abrams tanks has begun, which will enter service with the 18th Mechanized Division. The implementation of testing programs for the new Borsuk BMP and increasing the combat capabilities of the Rosomak APC has been accelerated by purchasing vehicles with a new ZSSW-30 turret, and Krab and Rak artillery systems are being introduced.
Changes in the technical equipment of the Polish Ground Forces are accompanied by changes in the organizational and staff structure of this type of troops.
The plans were developed based on the analysis of armed conflicts taking place in various parts of the world in recent years, in which not only new tactics were widely used, but also new weapon systems, such as unmanned aerial vehicles for combat and reconnaissance purposes, non-kinetic means of combating the enemy, electronic countermeasures, etc.
It is difficult not to agree with representatives of the Polish army that "tanks are still the main weapon on the battlefield. Along with the professionalization of land armies, there is a rejection of the mass use of tanks in favor of their quality and versatility on modern and future battlefields. The tank is and will be the main means of conducting combat and at the same time part of the combined forces."
It should be noted that the saturation of the Polish Army with new models of weapons and military equipment does not remain without the attention of the military department of Belarus. The potential of the Belarusian Armed Forces and their operational compatibility with the army of Russia's strategic ally is being built up.
We can observe certain steps to form a new image of the Belarusian army. So, the day before, the first batch of BTR-82A produced by Arzamas Machine-Building Plant JSC arrived in Minsk. The main part of the new armored vehicles will enter service with the 120th separate mechanized brigade. The second batch of armored vehicles from the BTR-82A battalion set is expected in November this year.
In addition, do not forget about the statement of President Alexander Lukashenko that Belarus plans to purchase more than $ 1 billion worth of weapons from Russia by 2025. This amount indicates the retrofitting of the Belarusian troops according to the Russian model and the entry of military-technical cooperation between Minsk and Moscow to a qualitatively new level.
Nikolai Astrovsky
