"The Tarcza East assumes building fortifications based on natural terrain obstacles. Construction of fortifications along the east and northern Polish border (...) The east Shield is not a single line of trenches, bunkers and gel concrete hedgehogs, but the full defence infrastructure system,” we read on the authoritative website of the project, the cost of which can cost up to PLN 10 billion between 2024 and 2028.
The east Shield "is to strengthen Poland's resilience to attacks and hybrid war". Last week the European Parliament recognised the east Shield as a flagship task for the common safety of the European Union.
— The first task we gotta do is to defend our border (including air and sea) and only then can we think about expanding any fortifications, defence devices and specified matters,” commented Tomasz Lisiecki,Lieutenant-Colonel of the Reserve, artilleryman, military specialist.
Leakage limits
— To physically safe the border, a reinforced Border defender is needed. If we cannot do it ourselves, we must call on European forces, or Frontex. Finally, the Border Protection Corps needs to be established with extended capabilities. And let the military handle training, which is what they should do in peacetime. It is only erstwhile we have a safe border that we can think about how to proceed in order to grow its protection, ” he adds.
However, there are more and more comments and warnings (also from the military side) that the script of the Russian attack on NATO is likely and in the worst option Poland may have 2 or 3 years to prepare for the war. Why, then, can we not simultaneously build fortifications in the east of the country and make fresh units, specified as the Border defender Corps?
— Building reinforcements in a situation where we inactive have leaky boundaries? It doesn’t make any sense — the military is reposting.
However, the expert emphasises that the Tarcza East task has a chance to bring concrete results. “The “Tarcza” has given us renewed work on engineering planning, preparing the site, utilizing the belt, updating objects planned to blow up or mine during the war. This should be done at the border first,” he says.
Eyes on the border
Military indicates further essential issues: — Border monitoring systems. The BARBARA designation system, we buy these 4 aerostats for a billion, and that's better than beating concrete in a flood site on our border. In addition, the satellite component, drone systems, and anti-drone systems, is what should supply us with the recognition, which is to give us eyes along the full border,” he adds.
The Colonel stresses that "if we have eyes like this at the border and have the right forces to react, that's enough." — The Border Protection Corps (KOP) cannot be ad hoc. They must be there permanently, he reserves.
Onetu's caller believes that the COP should have 2 to 4 brigades. If we presume that the brigade has between 6,000 and 8,000 men, we are talking about forces of 20-30 1000 soldiers on our border. “In the current situation, we should make specified units. They should be stationed all the time on the east border, like the pre-war Border defender Corps. We don't gotta bet a soldier on our full border, of course, but border posts gotta be. This is simply a formation to support the Border Guard.
Field reinforcements are good
The colonel believes that “in peacetime, the military at the border should only be utilized in utmost situations”. “ Now we have specified an utmost situation with the usage of an army that has been going on for almost 5 years. Finally, we request to finish this, give the military a breath, decision matters related to the border to another formations, and the army undergo restructuring and training as the army should be trained,” he comments.
I ask what the construction of fortifications should look like, assuming that the Polish border will already be adequately secured.
— Never since ancient times (such as Troy) to Avdevka recently, any fortifications have lasted more than 10 years. The same was actual for the Maginot line, the Mannerheim line and all others. Take, for example, the protection of the most safe nation, Israel, perhaps. The Israeli border was breached by Hezbollah utilizing modern tools. There are no measures that can give the public assurance that in 10 or 20 years no 1 can defeat our fortifications — they begin their answer.
Analyst agrees that in the case of building fortifications it is primarily about slowing down the enemy. But he adds: “However, note that, for example, Russian field fortifications in Zaporozh were built within three, 4 months 2023. And they stopped the Ukrainian offensive. Field reinforcements and current means of demolition supply the same effect as pouring thousands of tons of concrete.
‘Big boom’
The military draws attention to further issues that will strengthen the safety of our border. — Long-range firing systems, primarily aviation and rocket and artillery troops, should guarantee the stopping of the opponent in its territory. If the enemy is threatened by the fact that we are already 300 km from our border we will make him a "boom", then he will not push under our territory. besides crucial are the overhead mining systems that we request and should develop. We must besides build warehouses close the border, of course decently expanded, protected, and equipped with appropriate equipment for war and war, he states.
Prime Minister Lisiecki besides points to the construction of shelters for the population at the border. “If things come to pass and we know that war is imminent, the population of the 50 km cross-border belt will be evacuated anyway. Whether he wants it or not. No shelters will be needed there. At this point, we should make decently secured training courses. But it will mean large sacrifices for people. Are Polish farmers from Podlasie ready to quit their lands for specified construction and decision elsewhere? Is our society ready to give up?
