Poland: NATO’s Growing Military Powerhouse Is Truly Impressive

What Makes the Polish Military Great? Poland, already one of the best militaries in Europe, is going on a spending spree. The Eastern European country has promised to spend a record 4.7 percent of its GDP on the military in 2025. That’s more proportionally than the United States, which invests about 2.9 percent of its GDP on defense spending. You can understand why since Poland has been invaded by the Soviet Union and, of course, Germany during World War Two. It also neighbors Ukraine, so you can understand why it wants to spend so much. Poland lives in a dangerous neighborhood.

First, the Poles Are Opening Up the Purse Strings

Poland’s target for 2025 is $48.7 billion in defense spending, up from $41.5 billion in its 2024 budget. This shows the Poles are serious about self-help – the realist concept in international relations that all countries want to maximize their defenses when confronted by the possibility of war. The Poles always worry about an invasion and take matters seriously when it comes to their military.

The Poles ‘Roll Deep’ for Fort Trump

My professional experience with Poland was exciting. I once worked for U.S. Senator Tim Scott who in 2019 served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. At the time, Poland was pushing for “Fort Trump” or a permanent U.S. military installation in Poland near Ukraine with at least one U.S. Army Armored Brigade Combat Team. I was excited because this was the first major diplomatic effort I was a part of for Senator Scott. Our office was all ears as the Polish military sent over a dozen diplomats and military officers to our confines in the Hart Senate Office Building. Our smaller conference room held only four people, and our larger conference room was not available. So, we packed in there (with an ample overflow space) and listened to the pitch. The Poles were passionate about a permanent U.S. base, and we took their request under advisement. In an internal staff meeting afterward I recommended that we support the idea of Fort Trump in Poland.

All That Diplomacy Worked

While Fort Trump never completely came to fruition the way the Poles originally envisioned, the United States does have a U.S. Army Garrison in Poland. This is one year old and totals several thousand U.S. personnel. You can still call it a permanent basing of some U.S. troops.

The Army has described the garrison as “11 installations spread out across military communities in Poznan, Powidz and Swietoszow. This will also include command and control of U.S. Army Garrison Black Sea, which involves Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base in Romania and Novo Selo Training Area in Bulgaria.”

The Makeup of the Polish Military

The Polish military itself is a strong and made more resolute with the U.S. presence. The Polish military has five branches: the Land Forces, the Navy, the Air Force, and the Special Forces. Poland took part in the wars in Iraq and assisted the United States during the 2003 invasion in Iraq and most impressively during the conflict in Afghanistan serving there from 2002 to 2014.

Large Standing Military

The Poles have 292,000 active duty personnel with the Land Forces boasting around 100,000 soldiers with 40,000 in reserve. There is also a territorial defense force with 55,000 personnel.

Check Out These Tanks

Polish land forces have a broad assortment of 155mm self-propelled howitzers, plus multiple-launch rocket systems. But the tank force is really impressive. Poland boasts dozens of K2 Black Panthers, M1 Abrams, and Leopard 2s, along with some older T-72s. They have wheeled and tracked infantry fighting vehicles to form an excellent mechanized warfare force.

Not a Bad Air Force

The Air Force is somewhat strong with around 48 F-16s, 19 MiG-29s, 18 Su-22s, and 32 F-35As on order. The Poles also have 24 Bayraktar TB2 combat drones, and it leases an untold number of unmanned MQ-9 Reapers.

The Navy Has Some Modern Frigates

The Polish Navy has over 12,000 sailors. The Navy has one diesel electric Kilo-class attack submarine. There are two Oliver Perry-class guided missile frigates and two Polish-made corvettes. There are also an assortment of mine sweepers and mine laying ships.

Protecting Polish Sovereignty

Polish military strategy is simple: defend the homeland and leverage partnerships with allies, especially the United States and NATO friends. The tanks are outstanding, and Poland should buy more with its defense spending largesse. I would also concentrate on new self-propelled artillery and multiple-launch rockets systems that have been so effective in Ukraine. The F-35As will come in handy and transform the Polish Air Force which needs an update, although the large numbers of F-16s help, the Poles need a modern stealth fighter.

Overall, this is a fairly strong force. The Poles are motivated and well-trained with ample combat experience. If ever invaded, they will fight to the death. Give the Trump and Biden administrations credit for emphasizing the need to have a U.S. Army Garrison in Poland. It looks like the diplomatic effort to get at least a smaller Fort Trump worked and I was glad to play a tiny role in it.

About the Author: Dr. Brent M. Eastwood

Brent M. Eastwood, PhD, is the author of Don’t Turn Your Back On the World: a Conservative Foreign Policy and Humans, Machines, and Data: Future Trends in Warfare, plus two other books. Brent was the founder and CEO of a tech firm that predicted world events using artificial intelligence. He served as a legislative fellow for U.S. Senator Tim Scott and advised the senator on defense and foreign policy issues. He has taught at American University, George Washington University, and George Mason University. Brent is a former U.S. Army Infantry officer. He can be followed on X @BMEastwood.