A modular “toe to toe” strategy is needed to equip individual soldiers

pracodawcagodnyzaufania.pl 1 month ago

– The individual equipment of a soldier has been changing a lot lately.

This equipment, this technological leap allows us to last on the front line, so 1 can colloquially say, due to the fact that it is simply a vest not only tactical, but besides ballistic, just like the helmet – not just a sheet that was once, only Kevlar and even best to be equipped with an interior strategy that will origin the kinetic impact to destruct the bullet or shrapnel – says Newseria Agency Paweł “Naval” Mateńczuk, a national defence minister's typical for military service conditions, erstwhile JW Grom operator, a associate in the combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Purpose of Operation Szpej modernization of individual equipment and arms of soldiers

According to MON, this year is to be a breakthrough in terms of changing the equipment of individual Polish soldiers. This is the consequence of Operation Szpej, which has been operating for a year and a half, aimed at modernising uniforming and arms and whose government has given advanced priority. During last week's Defence24 Days Forum, 2 Polish companies presented their proposal for a strategy of equipment “from head to toe” for soldiers, whose advantage is not only comprehensiveness, but besides modularity and ability to adapt to the circumstantial needs of a given operator.

The aim of Operation Szpej is to modernise individual equipment and arms of soldiers, which can straight translate into effectiveness and endurance on the modern battlefield. This is due to the fact that we talk of both uniforms and underwear, topwear tailored to different weather conditions, footwear, and bulletproof vests, helmets, rifles equipped with advanced optics, including holographic sights or magnifier telescopes.

The anticipation of disassembling field uniforms was introduced to match them to the body structure

– Operation Szpej aims not only to equip the soldier with state-of-the-art equipment, but besides to change the rules of the game, so to match today's laws to this technological leap that we all usage today. We know how fast he is and how hard it is to keep up with the rules – explains the MON lawyer in a conversation conducted during Defence24 Days. – According to the regulations, it is prohibited to make any alterations of uniforms, so regardless of who and what attitude he has, he had no right to cut something and do something.

As stressed by the Head of the Management Board of Logistics P4 of the General Staff of the Polish Army, General Brig. Mariusz Skulimowski was introduced at the session of the National Defence Commission on December 3, 2024, as part of the project, the anticipation of disassembling field uniforms in order to fit them to the construction of the body, which is beneficial for fitting to the needs of the soldier. Action has been taken to retreat the harness from usage by the soldiers to carry the equipment and replace them with light tactical belts. metallic helmets have been withdrawn from operation. As Piotr Mateńczuk on the YT MON channel late emphasized, 100 percent of professional soldiers already have Kevlar helmets. Tactical vests are the subject of orders and they, like helmets, will besides be selected for the tasks performed.

For many years the area of equipment for individual soldiers remained neglected and underfunded

– Everyone has their experience, I'm a peculiar op soldier, so for all operation, we've dressed up for all mission and equipped with different equipment. due to the fact that imagine what this equipment should be like, how I should dress for boarding in the Gulf waters, and later for training in Belize: no more shoes, no more vests, and possibly no more lifeguards, although in the jungle there was sometimes more water than in the Persian Gulf, due to the fact that it is raining all the time and humidity is almost 100 percent. So give the soldier the chance to choose in this equipment that he gets what he needs. We have the basis, core, and we are besides building up the right equipment for the operation that is carried out – explains Paweł “Naval” Mateńczuk.

The representatives of the MON at the Parliamentary gathering of the National Defence Commission indicated that for many years the area of equipment for individual soldiers remained neglected and underfunded. For example, in 2016 and 2017, the level of financial safety of needs in these areas amounted to 18% and 32%. Despite attempts to remedy the situation since 2022, the level of 98 percent was only reached last year.

The number of equipment in the civilian marketplace and companies that produce for military lovers is very large

– Motivator in things like individual equipment is usually the situation erstwhile we meet soldiers of another armies of the planet and always compare who has what. In addition, the amount of equipment in the civilian marketplace and the companies that they produce for military lovers is very large, and so a soldier who is simply a private gunner walks in the mountains, "plays" in the military or trains, the civilian marketplace allows for much better, broader retrofitting. Compared to what I can buy on the civilian marketplace and what the military gives me, there is so a large difference – emphasizes the national defence minister's typical for military service conditions.