Poland’s U.S. made Abrams Main Battle Tank in Tuesday’s parade<\/p>\n
A massive military parade rumbled through Warsaw on Tuesday, commemorating Poland\u2019s National Armed Forces Day, which marks the 103rd<\/sup> anniversary of Poland\u2019s defeat of the Soviet Union at the Battle of Warsaw on Aug 15, 1920..<\/p>\n Poland recently increased its military spending from 2.4 per cent of GDP to four per cent, as it buys more arms and equipment, mainly from the west. Ultimately Warsaw aims to more than double the size of its ground forces from 114,000 at present to more than 200,000. The objective being to transform Poland into continental Europe\u2019s foremost military power<\/a>.<\/p>\n For comparison:<\/p>\n The British Army ground forces currently stands at 77,000<\/a>. Along with increasing its defence spending, NATO member Poland has also reintroduced conscription and constructed new military bases and radar installations.<\/p>\n In the wake of the Ukraine conflict \u2013 and what looks increasingly like Ukraine\u2019s impending military collapse \u2013 Poland\u2019s NATO allies are eager to assist its military buildup.<\/p>\n Just as they were once ready to help Ukraine\u2019s military rearm and expand<\/a> they are now ready to arm and equip Poland.<\/p>\n Are they preparing to do with Poland what they did with Ukraine? Are they cynically using it as a stepping-stone in NATO\u2019s expansion eastward toward Russia? Or are they setting up Poland as a bulwark to the threat the Western mainstream media (MSM) insists is posed by Russia?<\/p>\n Either way, don\u2019t expect the Western MSM to tell you. Ed.<\/p>\n Poland’s biggest military parade since the Cold War took place in Warsaw on Tuesday, as the NATO-member country flexed its military muscle in what the government hoped would be both a message to Moscow and to voters ahead of elections in October.<\/p>\n Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made boosting the armed forces a priority for Poland’s ruling nationalists Law and Justice (PiS), and with the election campaign in full swing the immense display of military hardware provided a chance to burnish their security credentials.<\/p>\n The Armed Forces Day parade, taking place on the 103rd anniversary of Poland’s victory over the Soviet Union in the Battle of Warsaw, saw 2,000 soldiers from Poland and other NATO countries march through the capital accompanied by 200 items of military equipment and 92 aircraft.<\/p>\n “August 15 is not only an opportunity to pay homage to the heroes of the victorious Battle of Warsaw and to thank contemporary soldiers for defending our homeland,” Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told troops and onlookers who had gathered near the Vistula river.<\/p>\n “It is also a perfect day to show our strength, to show that we have built powerful armed forces that will effectively defend our borders without hesitation.”<\/p>\n PiS, in power since 2015, has vowed to double the size of the army and spend around 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defence this year.<\/p>\n President Andrzej Duda, a PiS ally, contrasted what he said was the lack of priority given to defence under the previous government with the investments made in recent years.<\/p>\n “The last eight years have been a time of rebuilding the Polish army,” he said. “Earlier we had the opposite situation, a decrease in the size of the Polish armed forces.”<\/p>\n Manual worker Dariusz Gawronski, 56, had travelled from the western town of Debno to watch the display.<\/p>\n “The parade gives a very good impression that we have something to defend ourselves with,” he said. “I personally feel safe.”<\/p>\n However, opposition lawmakers accuse the government of instrumentalising the military for its own political gain.<\/p>\n “I wish you (soldiers)… that you never again have to provide a background for political hatred,” Marcin Kierwinski, a lawmaker from liberal opposition party Civic Platform (PO) wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.<\/p>\n Duda, Blaszczak and other policymakers including Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki looked on as soldiers marched past, while helicopters including Black Hawks and jets including F-16s and FA-50s flew overhead.<\/p>\n Other equipment on display included M1A1 Abrams tanks bought from the United States, South Korean K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers as well as HIMARS rocket launchers, Patriot air defence systems and Polish-made Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles.<\/p>\n Source<\/a><\/p>\n Video of nigh time rehearsal for the Warsaw parade:<\/p>\n
\nThe French Army (including French fire fighters and the Foreign Legion) \u2013 142,000<\/a>.
\nThe German Army \u2013 65,000<\/a>.
\nThe Ukrainian Army (2023) \u2013 200,000<\/a>.<\/p>\nPoland displays military might in huge parade as elections loom<\/strong><\/h1>\n
Reuters \u2013 Aug 15, 2023<\/strong><\/h2>\n