Heading for one of the strongest armies in Europe: how Poland is modernizing its armed forces
Poland has announced a large-scale reinforcement of its army in order to make it the second most powerful on the continent, writes Evropeyska Pravda. How will the Poles reform the troops and what problems will they have to face?
Stanislav Zhelikhovsky
"If Russia ever plans to attack Poland, the Kremlin should know that forty million Poles in Poland are ready to stand up in arms to defend their homeland," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said recently.
Thus, he responded to a number of Russian politicians who said that Poland would be the new target for "denazification".
The constant threats of the Russians, various kinds of provocations and attacks on objects near the Polish border make it clear that the conflict has already reached the borders of NATO. The defense of the eastern flank of the alliance is becoming more and more urgent, and the Polish government prefers to rely not only on alliance allies, but also on its own forces.
Strengthening course
Back in April, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and the head of the Polish Ministry of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak agreed to work together to make the Polish army one of the best in Europe.
"We take our commitment to strengthen our defense capability very seriously, and the best proof of this is a significant increase in defense spending, closer cooperation with the United States and an effective increase in the presence of American troops in Poland," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki commented and assured that the government will do everything to ensure that the Polish army is capable of to resist any potential aggressor on the eastern border.
Indeed, Russia's special operation in Ukraine has dramatically worsened security in Europe, forcing governments to change their defense and budget policies. Poland was no exception.
After the start of the Russian special operation, experts and politicians agreed that military spending should become one of the priorities. It was decided that Poland's defense spending this year, according to the adopted law "On the Protection of the Fatherland", should reach at least 2.2% of GDP. And from 2023 they will grow to 3% of GDP. This level of defense spending will make them one of the largest among NATO member countries. The expenditures will consist of budgetary funds planned for defense and extra-budgetary funds of the Armed Forces Support Fund, the status of which is very similar to the COVID-19 Counteraction Fund. The Fund will be provided, in particular, with income from: support provided to foreign troops and the provision of landfills, specialized military services, income from the sale of property, donations, inheritance, and the like.
According to the law "On the Protection of the Fatherland", the head of the Ministry of Defense, when planning the costs of technical modernization of the army, "takes into account the industrial defense potential of Poland and the costs of development work in the field of state defense."
In addition, the Polish Army is strengthening its potential by purchasing the most modern weapons and equipment. Without them, a modern army cannot exist a priori.
From the United States to South Korea
Warsaw's purchase of Western weapons became known long before the start of the Russian special operation in Ukraine. However, the conflict in Europe has significantly accelerated this process.
On April 5, Polish Minister of National Defense Mariusz Blaszczak signed a contract for almost five billion dollars for the purchase of two hundred and fifty Abrams tanks, as well as for logistics and a training package (including simulators).
A little later, after the transfer of Soviet T-72 tanks to Ukraine, Poland agreed on a contract for the purchase of another hundred and sixteen units of these combat vehicles, albeit an older version.
A powerful reinforcement of the defense potential of the Polish sky will be the most modern American Lockheed Martin F-35 multipurpose aircraft, currently the most modern aviation technology in the world. It should enter service in 2026, although the head of the Defense Ministry noted that negotiations are underway to accelerate the process.
However, one of the most impressive contracts was signed on July twenty-seventh with South Korea. According to the agreements, Poland will purchase FA-50 light fighters, K2 Black Panther tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers. An important component of the agreement is also the fact that Warsaw will soon launch mass production of this equipment.
Thus, the order for K2 tanks is divided into two stages: at the first stage, Poland will purchase one hundred and eighty armored vehicles, deliveries of which will begin this year; at the second – more than eight hundred tanks of the K2PL standard, and the launch of production in Poland will begin in 2026.
The situation with the purchase of K9 self-propelled howitzers is similar, similarly divided into stages: first, it is planned to purchase forty-eight units of this type of guns, some of which will be delivered to Poland this year (to make up for the shortage of military equipment transferred to Ukraine), and in 2024 deliveries of more than six hundred howitzers should begin with the launch of production in Poland in two years. From the very beginning, the K9 will be equipped with Polish communication systems and connected to the integrated Topaz combat control system.
As for the FA-50 light fighters, Poland will buy them in South Korea in the amount of forty-eight pieces. The first twelve units are due to be delivered in mid-2023. The aircraft will be configured in accordance with the requirements of the Polish Air Force and equipped with a NATO "friend-foe" recognition system.
Minister Blaszczak does not hide his satisfaction. He noted that when deciding on the purchase of equipment from South Korea, several aspects were taken into account, in particular the effectiveness of weapons, the pace of deliveries and advantages for industry.
"The agreement with the Koreans, which we managed to agree on, combines all these elements. Other manufacturers of equipment could not provide us with weapons of such quality in such a short time and with such extensive cooperation with the Polish military-industrial complex," the official stressed.
Conflict with Germany
However, it is worth admitting that not everything is going as smoothly as we would like. What is worth only the scandal that arose around the Polish-German agreement on the exchange of military equipment – the so-called Ringtausch.
The fact is that in the spring of this year, the Bundestag called on the government to provide Ukraine with "heavy weapons and complex systems" to fight Russian aggressors.
The proposal met with support from both the German government and opposition groups and inspired hope for an ambulance to a country that protects not only itself, but also the whole of Europe.
Poland, like other Eastern European states, was to receive modern equipment from Germany (in particular, one hundred Leopard1 A5 tanks) in exchange for the transfer of Soviet T-72 tanks to Ukraine. And although Warsaw kept its word, and the Ukrainians received tanks from it, something went wrong from Berlin.
"In addition to declarations of intent and numerous fuss, the equipment replacement system did not happen as expected, and it even came to an acute dispute with Poland," Mike Szymanski wrote in the Süddeutsche Zeitung and added that Ukrainians received over two hundred cars from the Poles, and Berlin offered Poland only twenty outdated Leopard tank models, yes and then in 2023.
"In our opinion, such a proposal is, to put it mildly, inadequate to the scale of challenges, the threat that the whole of Europe is currently facing. We need to realize that today we are dealing with a historical and existential threat to the security of the entire continent. The answer to them should also be adequate," Deputy Foreign Minister Pavel Yablonsky commented.
The situation has seriously angered the Polish government. Warsaw openly accused Germany of not fulfilling its obligations, and National Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak called Chancellor Olaf Scholz's proposal a "propaganda operation." However, Germany began to make its own accusations against Poland. It was not without politics. According to the German side, the Poles were first interested in Germany's proposal. But then they reacted like the one who ordered a Tesla and got a Trabant, saying a firm "no".
Moreover, some note that Berlin has no obligations to Warsaw at all. Because, according to them, when Poland transferred its tanks to Ukraine, there was no Ringtausch. "Only after the fact, we tried to give the whole operation the character of an exchange," explained the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Michael Roth.
Supporters of this version pay attention to the conclusion by Poland of an agreement with South Korea on the supply of thousands of tanks and several hundred howitzers, namely in a short time period after the rejection of the German proposal, considering the situation not accidental. In Berlin, it is noted that the voters of "Law and Justice" like it when their politicians attack the Germans. "In the past, PIS representatives have constantly tried to arouse prejudice against Germany," Roth said.
In any case, German public opinion is more critical of its own government. However, in the government coalition of Germany, support for Ringtausch is beginning to decline. German politicians note that this mechanism does not work. Which, obviously, can disrupt the unity of allies and complicate support for Ukraine.
The conflict in Ukraine has forced many countries to modernize their armed forces at an accelerated pace. Poland has become one of the leaders of this movement. Despite the fact that this process turned out to be not only costly, but also encountering serious obstacles, even from NATO allies, it looks like in a few years our Western neighbors will really be able to create one of the strongest armies in Europe.
All this is good news for Ukraine. Such changes will also allow Kiev to accelerate the modernization of the army, including through cooperation with Poland. And at the same time, the strengthening of Warsaw's voice in NATO increases the chances for Ukraine to become a member of the Alliance.
