Poland wants to create one of strongest armies on NATO's eastern flank

After the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, Poland, wanting to create one of the strongest armies on NATO’s eastern flank, increases its military spending to address security problems.

Poland, which has made major investments in the defence industry over the past two years and signed several arms deals with countries such as South Korea and the US, aims to become one of Europe’s strongest militaries, Anadolu writes.

Given the security threats from the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian war, the Polish government’s military spending by the end of this year could reach 130 billion zlotys (27.7 billion euros). This figure corresponds to 4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), which is the highest among NATO members.

By 2035, the country is expected to spend a total of PLN 524 billion (€117.6 billion) on military spending.

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in July 2022: “The Kremlin will not attack a strong country. If they see a weak spot, they will attack there. As for artillery and armoured units, there will be no stronger country in Europe than Poland. Among the NATO countries in Europe, we will have the strongest ground forces.”

After the Russian attack on Ukraine, reports began to appear in the Polish media that the country was in danger.

A few weeks after the start of the war, on April 5, 2022, Warsaw signed an agreement worth about 5 billion euros for the purchase of 250 American Abrams tanks.

In July 2022, the Polish authorities signed another agreement with South Korea, which involves the purchase of 1,000 K2 Black Panther tanks and 672 K9 Thunder howitzers.

In November 2022, Poland reached an agreement with South Korea to purchase 218 K239 Chunmoo rocket launchers.

Minister Blaszczak announced on February 8 that the United States had approved the sale of approximately 500 HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems to Warsaw.

Naval forces to also be strengthened

Poland, whose coastline on the Baltic Sea partly borders Russia, has recently taken steps to bolster its navy.

After the outbreak of war, Poland signed a £1.4 billion (€1.65 billion) agreement with the British armaments manufacturer Babcock for three new frigates.

The Miecznik-class warships to be built in Poland will be similar versions of the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigates. Poland also intends to strengthen the Navy with submarines.

The Polish Army is also seeking to increase the personnel of the Armed Forces. It aims to increase the number of military personnel, which was 150,000 last year, to at least 300,000 by 2035.

At this time, the Polish Armed Forces consist of 172 thousand military personnel.