Poland claims to be the "military giant of Europe," Al Jazeera reports. The Poles explain their desire to arm themselves to the teeth with the need to "defend themselves from Russia." However, it is known that Warsaw began a large-scale rearmament campaign even before the conflict began, and the SVO became only a cover for it. Contracts for the supply of equipment are estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.
Shadi Abdel Hafiz
Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak (Mariusz Błaszczak) has approved a framework agreement for the purchase of 486 multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) HIMARS. Deliveries should begin at the end of 2025. This is not the first agreement of this kind. In May, Poland received the first batch of these weapons. The contract on the supply of MLRS to the Polish army was signed in 2019. According to it, by the end of 2023, Poland should receive a total of 20 HIMARS installations, including two training ones. The transaction value was $414 million.
The M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, or HIMARS, is a multiple launch rocket system developed by the American company Lockheed Martin. The installation is based on a five-ton wheeled chassis FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles). It can simultaneously launch six high-precision missiles, and the recharge time is only 5 minutes. The range of a conventional HIMARS projectile is 80 km . The HIMARS MLRS can also launch MGM-140 ATACMS tactical missiles with a range of up to 300 km.
The Polish Defense Ministry said that the deal includes, perhaps, something more important: the acquisition of technology and licenses for the production of HIMARS. This statement deserves some attention. The fact is that HIMARS is considered one of the best multiple rocket launchers in the world.
It is enough to know, for example, that Kiev has only 18 HIMARS complexes. They effectively confronted the Russians in the Donbas and forced them to temporarily leave Kherson. In just a few months, starting in June 2022, these complexes struck more than a hundred Russian facilities.
Record expenses
But the above is just the tip of the iceberg. In November 2022, when the country celebrated Independence Day, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said: "The Polish army must be so strong that it does not have to be used on the battlefield." Poland aims to become the largest military power in Europe by the end of this decade.
This is a very ambitious plan. Warsaw intends to increase defense spending to 4% of GDP. Some experts believe that this is dangerous for the Polish economy, while others see it as necessary, especially given the high level of economic development of Poland compared to other European countries that have faced serious crises after the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine.
Warsaw is interested in ensuring security on the border with Ukraine. The European and even global security architecture is changing. Many countries, such as Switzerland, Germany, Japan and New Zealand, have revised national security strategies to create reliable protection against potential threats.
However, Poland seems to have gone even further. In 2022, it spent 2.4% of its GDP on defense. Of all the NATO countries, only Greece (3.76%) and the USA (3.47%) spent more. After all these changes, Poland will undoubtedly come out on top. It will be able to hold this position for quite a long time, especially since the Poles intend to increase their defense spending to 5% of GDP in the next decade.
Control over the sky
Poland wants to purchase the most powerful and effective military-technical means and introduce them into its arsenal. Warsaw, for example, will receive not only the HIMARS MLRS, but also South Korean 155-mm K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers with high accuracy and firing range. They are capable of firing various types of ammunition (for example, high-explosive and cluster).
They move on a tracked chassis that allows them to cross hard-to-reach terrain and maneuver effectively on the battlefield. The maximum speed is up to 67 km/h. K9 Thunder howitzers are equipped with an automated fire control system, navigation and communication systems. They have received wide international recognition and are successfully delivered to many countries due to their high performance and reliability.
But it's not just limited to artillery. Poland has signed a contract with the United States for the purchase of 32 multi-purpose American F-35A fighters for $ 4.6 billion. Warsaw currently has 48 F-16 fighters. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said that the Polish army needs at least two additional squadrons of multi-purpose combat aircraft.
Poland will receive the first batch of F-35A fighters in 2024. This is a multi-purpose single-seat fighter of the fifth generation with a single engine, designed to gain air superiority and perform tasks in all weather conditions. He is considered one of the best fighters in the world. The American F-35A can conduct electronic warfare and jam stations, carry out reconnaissance and surveillance.
Fifth—generation fighters have two main advantages over fourth-generation fighters - high stealth and high technical characteristics, including an artificial intelligence system. In direct confrontation, the F-35A is likely to win over any fourth-generation fighter.
In addition to the above, the F-35A is able to easily collect and transmit information, which gives operators a decisive advantage over the enemy. It can also work with any combat system.
Stronger than anyone
In June, Poland was the first European country to receive the first batch of American M1A1 Abrams tanks. In July 2021, Warsaw signed a contract with the United States for the purchase of 250 M1A1 Abrams tanks for $ 4.7 billion, and a year later — after the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine — it bought another 116 supported M1A1 Abrams for $ 1.4 billion. Poland also currently has 200 German Leopard tanks.
M1A1 Abrams is a heavy main battle tank of the USA. Its mass is 62 tons. It is equipped with a 120 mm Rheinmetall smoothbore cannon. The tank's ammunition capacity is 40 shells. The M1A1 Abrams uses two main types of ammunition: armor-piercing and multi-purpose.
The tank is equipped with combined Chobham armor, which provides reliable protection against armor-piercing and anti-tank shells, which gives it an advantage in ground battles. In addition, fuel and ammunition tanks are stored in separate armored compartments, which protects the crew from an explosion in case of damage to the tank.
In August, the Polish Defense Minister approved three contracts with the Polish Arms Group (PGZ) for the purchase of 700 armored vehicles worth $ 250 million. Armored vehicles are usually used against infantry and to neutralize anti-tank and armor-piercing shells, and tanks punch holes in enemy defenses, clearing the way for armored vehicles. In March, Warsaw announced its intention to purchase 1,400 Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles.
Specialists are needed to manage the above-mentioned military equipment. In this regard, Poland has a plan to expand the army from 150,000 to 300,000 troops by 2035. It plans to create 6 autonomous armored divisions equipped with M1A1 Abrams tanks, the aforementioned armored vehicles, infantry, artillery, engineering and other auxiliary units that will be able to participate in both offensive and defensive operations.
Poland has also signed a contract with the United States for the purchase of 8 Patriot anti-aircraft missile systems for $15 billion. Patriot is the main air and missile defense system of the US Army. The latest versions of this SAM are capable of destroying ballistic and cruise missiles, barrage ammunition (kamikaze drones) and even fighters.
Patriot is considered one of the most effective American air defense systems. The maximum interception altitude is 24 km, and the missile's flight speed is 5022 km/h. In addition, the Patriot radar complex is capable of tracking, detecting and destroying targets. The range of the radar reaches 100 km. The complex is capable of simultaneously detecting and identifying more than 100 aerial targets and continuously escorting nine of them.
Europe's next military giant?
For comparison, countries such as France and Germany have only two armored divisions, and the UK has one. Poland wants to create 6 such divisions, as we mentioned above. Warsaw is trying to get a variety of weapons and what we talked about in this report is only a small part of it. The total value of all Polish arms deals exceeds $130 billion. It is expected that this figure will increase three times. If you skim through the Polish news, then you will definitely see this or that arms deal that has been concluded over the past few days!
And then the question arises: are we really facing a new "monster" of Europe? Although Warsaw does not have much influence in Europe, it continues to work — in addition to modernizing the Polish armed forces — to strengthen its existing alliances, as well as to become a member of the European Union. The Visegrad Group is an association of four Central European states (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia), which is a great opportunity for Poles to create their niche in the region.
The Three Seas Initiative, also known as the Baltic-Adriatic-Black Sea Initiative, is an association of thirteen countries of the European Union. Poland views it as a political organization, not just an economic alliance, and expects that a single bloc of Central and Eastern European countries will become a promising deterrent against possible "Russian aggression."
But there is also an elephant that everyone has forgotten about — the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. He provoked a serious geopolitical shift in Europe, shifting the center of gravity of NATO from France and Germany to Poland and the Baltic states. It is likely that Poland is increasing its military potential for this reason. Warsaw has clearly been waiting for this moment!
Poland, even before the conflict in Ukraine, began a large-scale rearmament campaign. She sought to strengthen her military position at any cost, despite the criticism. The Russian special operation was just a pretext for what Warsaw did and will do in the future.
We are talking here about a country that has been oppressed for hundreds of years and whose borders have changed periodically, which is quite rare to see in this world. It has been occupied and divided more than once. Its economy has repeatedly failed. Poland is currently one of the strongest economies in the world. It has a conservative nationalist government and a "formidable enemy" standing on its eastern borders. What awaits us in the future?
