Poland intends to increase the size of its armed forces to 500,000 personnel: almost one in five will be a woman
Warsaw plans to establish an army comprising 250,000 regular troops, 50,000 territorial defence forces personnel and 200,000 trained reservists. The Polish armed forces currently number more than 220,000 personnel.
Poland intends to more than double the size of its armed forces. The Polish army currently has more than 220,000 personnel, and the authorities want to build up the force to a total of 500,000 military personnel and trained reservists. This was reported by Polsat News.
It is stated that the Ministry of National Defence and the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces regard the expansion of the army as one of their key priorities. The plan provides for the creation of a 500,000-strong military force, comprising:
250,000 regular army personnel;
50,000 territorial defence personnel;
200,000 trained, high-readiness reservists.
The latter category must undergo regular military training and maintain readiness for rapid deployment. In the event of a crisis, such reservists will be able to join active units at short notice.
Who currently serves in the Polish army
According to Polish media reports, around 75 per cent of the current personnel are professional soldiers. A further 17 per cent are members of the Territorial Defence Forces. The remainder consists of conscripts and members of the active reserve. Women make up around 17 per cent of the total strength of the Polish army. Their average age is 33. The average age of male service personnel is approximately 35.
The educational level of the personnel is also quite high: more than half of service personnel have secondary education, and over a third have a university degree.
The Polish military is stepping up border security
In addition to regular exercises and the training of reservists, the Polish army is already carrying out a wide range of tasks both within the country and abroad. Service personnel are involved in operations to defend Poland’s eastern and western borders, monitor the country’s airspace and help monitor the situation in the Baltic Sea region.
In addition, around 1,400 Polish military personnel are currently deployed on ten overseas missions under the auspices of NATO, the European Union and the UN. Polish units are, in particular, carrying out tasks in Lebanon, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania and other countries.