It happened in 2024 – part I

"Steadfast Defender ’24" – NATO Operation

90 000 soldiers from 32 NATO associate States and Sweden, hundreds of combat vehicles, 80 aircraft and helicopters, 50 ships – the North Atlantic Alliance began “Steadfast Defender ’24” exercise. SHAPE-organized maneuvers were The largest specified venture since the end of the Cold War, and their main goal was to rehearse the North Atlantic Alliance's consequence to Russia's aggression against 1 of the neighbouring countries. It's a demonstration of ours. unity, strength and determination to defend each other – said General Christopher Cavali, the chief commander of allied forces in Europe. “Steadfast Defender ’24” included many another exercises. This includes the “Dragon ’24” organized by Poles, as well as ‘Brilliant Jump ’24’When they trained NATO advanced Standby Forces – VJTF (Very advanced Reading Joint Task Force). At the same time, 3 another American exercises were held, all under 1 codename: “Defender ’24”. It is ‘Saber Strike ’24’, ‘Immediate consequence ’24’ and ‘Swift consequence ’24’. Polish soldiers participated in each.

End of “Czernicki” mission

130 days at sea, 3 major exercises and the same number of mine operations, 18 ports visited in 11 different countries – this balance sheet completed PKW mission “Czernicki” within the NATO SNMCMG1 vessel team (Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1). This was 1 of the most crucial projects of the Polish Navy in years. Since July 2023 the mission was headed by a Polish officer, kmdr Lt. Piotr Bartosevicz, which for the following months supported the global staff, composed mainly of officers and sub-commissioners of the 8th Coast Defence Fleet in Świnoujście. During the mission, 2 another Polish units joined the squad – OORP “Hancza” and “Teams”.

The Army played with WEDP

For the first time in 8 years The army joined the large Orchestra of Christmas Charity. The 32nd action finale, during which volunteers collected funds to acquisition equipment for pulmonological troops, was held at the membranes of the National PGE Stadium. However, soldiers could be met in many cities throughout Poland. For participants the event was prepared concerts, sports activities, equipment shows or medical workshops. The military seat is always with the citizens. I am glad that the army is playing with the Orchestra, and I hope that no 1 will always make another decision, due to the fact that the military should support society and social organizations," commented Cezary Tomczyk, Deputy Minister of National Defence.

Czechs in the View

Three Czech Mi-17 helicopters from the 22nd Air Force Base in Náměšť nad Oslavou landed at the 33rd Transport Air Base in Powidzou. Machines and about a 100 pilots, technicians and logistics engineers created so-called. Task Force HIPPO Poland, the Czech chopper quota. For the next months of their stay in Poland, part of the pilots collaborated with Polish airmen from the Air peculiar Operations Unit, and through joint training they strengthened the east flank of NATO. In February, for example, they participated in Special Forces exercise ‘Cobra’, during which the task of the airmen was to coordinate the air support activities of soldiers from among others the GROM and the Commandos Military Unit. The Czech Republic stay in Poland was planned until December 2024.

‘Ferie of WOT’ 2024

In territorial defence troops units were held another edition of “Feria from WOT”. It is simply a 16-day basic training aimed primarily at adult students, students, teachers and lecturers who can usage the inter-semeal break to learn tactics, communications, weapons or first aid. During winter break 2024 Training in all OT brigades has over 1.8 1000 people. Nearly 1.4 1000 of them completed basic training and took a military oath. Others were trained less, during alleged compensatory training.

FEBRUARY

Operation “Szpej” means equipping soldiers

‘Speak’ – specified codename is carried by the program of the General Staff of the Polish Army, consisting in optimizing individual equipment of soldiers. Tables of receivables are to be updated, gaps are to be filled, and individual items of equipment will be listed for newer models. The aim of the program is to increase operational capacity by expanding soldiers' chances of surviving in the field of combat, expanding resilience to hard weather conditions and the ability to fight in urbanised areas and at night. Within 2 years, over PLN 1.5 billion will be spent to acquisition individual equipment. As MON reported at the end of the year, 37 fresh individual equipment contracts were signed this year, 15 multi-annual contracts concluded in erstwhile years and 21 options were launched to increase previously submitted contracts.

IBCS strategy for the Polish Army

Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish signed IBCS acquisition agreement The Integrated Air and rocket defence conflict Command System, which is the state-of-the-art anti-aircraft and rocket command strategy for the Vistula and Narew programmes. A net contract worth $2.53 billion is planned for 2024–2031. – It is simply a large day for Poland, the United States and NATO. We sign the contract in phase II the ‘Wisła’ programme for an integrated anti-aircraft and rocket defence command system said the head of the MON. The agreement guarantees the acquisition for the Polish Army of selected communication devices, passive recognition systems of IFF and cryptographic devices, the expansion of laboratory infrastructure, and conducting polygon tests involving the interaction of Narew and Vistula sets.

Sweden in NATO

After 2 years of waiting Sweden joined NATO. – Sweden is ready to take work for Euro-Atlantic security. This is simply a historical day," commented Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The application for NATO membership was filed jointly with Finland in May 2022. It was a reaction to the full-scale war that Russia started in Ukraine, and the increasingly aggressive attitude of the Kremlin in the Baltic region. Experts point out that joining Sweden to the Alliance will let control of the Baltic to be closed, which will become almost interior NATO sea.

Telephone of trust for soldiers

The Ministry of Defence has launched military trust phone. “In hard moments, soldiers and their families and civilian workers of the Ministry of National Defence will receive intellectual support,” said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz. The free hotline (tel. 800 300 311) was initially open from Monday to Friday, from 8 to 20. As of May, qualified psychologists have been on work regular and 24/7, and callers can receive immediate assistance in the form of intellectual consultation.

Award for reporters “Polish Armed Forces”

Armed ReportersTV Ewa Korsak and Aleksander Kruk received main prize in the “Cumulusy” competition in the “Film” category. Their coverage entitled ‘F-16: the character test is carried out in the air’ tells about the specificity of pilot service 31 Tactical Air Base and their preparations for the Baltic Air Police mission. The “Cumulusy” competition is simply a joint venture of the Aviation and Air Sports Promotion Foundation. The awards are awarded in respective categories, apart from movie productions, the jury besides evaluates sports performances, the organisation of air events, and the activities of pilot training institutions.

New CWCR Head

Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz appointed the head of the Central Military Recruitment Center. It was made by Colonel Grzegorz Wawrzynkiewicz. An officer in the post replaced Brig. Gen. Mirosław Brysia retired in January 2024. The fresh head of CWCR was succeeded by Colonel Grzegorz Konopko.

NATO-Ukraine Center in Poland

At a gathering of NATO Defence Ministers, it was decided to establish in Bydgoszcz Joint Centre for Analysis, Training and Education NATO-Ukrainea (NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Center – JATEC). This decision was confirmed at the July NATO summit in Washington. The centre, a joint initiative of NATO and Ukraine, is to be opened in January 2025. Its main task will be to support Ukraine's Armed Forces in the pursuit of full interoperability with NATO troops, as well as to exchange experiences between Ukraine's Armed Forces and the North Atlantic Alliance armies.

MARCH

Polygonal interaction on Dragon

15 1000 Polish soldiers and 5 1000 allies and 3.5 1000 units of equipment took part in the largest in 2024 maneuvers of the Polish Army "Dragon '24". The script assumed the spread of troops over respective 100 kilometres, crossing rivers and Joint defence operation on NATO's east flank. The military trained on land, sea and air. The maneuvers have been part of the largest since the end of the Cold War training task of NATO, the “Steatfast Defender ’24” exercise.

New heads of service

Prime Minister Donald Tusk appointed fresh heads of peculiar services – Military Counterintelligence and Military Intelligence Services and interior safety Agency, Intelligence Agency and Central Anti-corruption Office. Colonel Rafał Syrysko was the editor of the ABW, and Colonel Paweł Szota was the head of the AW, and CBA was Agnieszka Kwiatkowska-Gurdak. The positions of the chiefs of SKW and SWW were taken by General Jarosław Stróżyk and Colonel Dorota Kawecka respectively.

Certificate Division

Conducting a defensive operation on a fictional territory that corresponds to north-eastern Poland – this task rested on soldiers of the North East Multinational Division during the “Loyal Leda ’24” exercises. They were equivalent to certification of division command for further tasks. During maneuvers involving a full of 750 soldiers from respective countries, the army was deployed in respective locations, including Szczecin, Bydgoszcz and Elbląg. The division's verification lasted more than a week, and the minutes confirming the readiness of the division were signed by the head of the certification commission, Danish General Peter Harling Boysen and General Mircea Gologan, who oversaw the course of NATO exercises.

Poland visit to the USA

At the invitation of American president Joe Biden President Andrzej Duda and Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited the ocean. In the White House, the leaders of Poland and the US, together with the delegations of both countries, discussed safety in Europe, military assistance to Kiev, bilateral relations and the future of NATO. – Poland, like another countries, knows that there is simply a safety price. That is why more than 4% of our GDP is spent on the armed forces," said president Duda. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that Poland is simply a "stable democracy". – It cannot be a safe Europe without strong Poland – he stressed. Joe Biden's answer afraid the engagement of US troops in Poland: – Our commitment is iron. We always say that an attack on 1 of our allies is an attack on all of us," said the American leader. president Duda's gathering with Joe Biden in the White home preceded his Visit to the Capitol.

Gen. Foolish Eurocorpus commander

The fresh commander of Eurocorpus was General weapon Peter Blazeus, erstwhile first Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the HR. The decision to appoint a general to this position was made by the national defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz after the General of Arms Jarosław Gromadziński was recalled urgently from Strasbourg to the country. The reason for this decision was – as explained by the Ministry of Defence in the Communication – initiating proceedings against an officer by the Military Counterintelligence Service.

Poland and Germany at the head of the armored coalition

Training soldiers and further supplies of equipment – specified objectives were set by an global coalition of armored capabilities for Ukraine, which was activated in Warsaw. Its leaders are Poland and Germany, but the participation was besides announced by the UK, Sweden and Italy. thought The formation of the coalition was announced jointly by defence ministers of Poland and Germany – Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Boris Pistorius – during a gathering in Warsaw. Coalition members are to focus on training Ukrainian soldiersand at the same time will be Mobilise Western states to hand over as much equipment as possible to Kiev authorities.