Territorial Defence Forces
Poland Allocates PLN 300 Million For Expansion Of The Drawsko Military Training Ground And Creates UAV Base In Miroslawiec.
More than PLN 300 million – this is the amount which is going to be allocated to modernization works related to the largest Polish Military Training Area – as Lt. Col. Szczepan Głuszczak reports. The Drawsko Pomorskie range is a place where exercises, involving the US Armed Forces and other military personnel from the NATO member states, are organized. It was also confirmed that, starting from the next year, the Mirosławiec Airbase is going to serve as a base for the Polish UAV systems.
More than PLN 300 million is going to be allocated to facilitate the process of expansion of the Drawsko Firing Range infrastructure. The amount mentioned above also includes support coming from the United States, in an amount equivalent to ca. PLN 70 million – as Lt. Col. Głuszczak stated. The funds would be assigned within the so called European ReassuranceInitiative, the aim of which is to support the European states. The programme was announced by the US President, Barrack Obama, back in June 2014. The plans related to the Drawsko Pomorskie investment were disclosed during an off-site meeting of the Parliamentary National Defence Commission.
Polish MoD’s Secretary of State, Czesław Mroczek noted that raised intensity of the exercises (including those in the allied setting) at the Drawsko range, is related to the reinforcement of the NATO eastern flank, in the light of the Ukrainian crisis. Minister also stated that we should expect that the intensity of the Drawsko operations is going to be increased. Let us recall the fact that the Drawsko range was a place where the Polish portions of the Saber Strike exercise took place, involving more than 2 thousand soldiers, including those coming from the USA, Denmark and Germany.
Drawsko Pomorskie is also a place where a large part of the trainings conducted by the US Army’s rotational units is being organized. The US forces have been maintaining their rotational presence in Poland, starting from 2014. After the investment is implemented, the Drawsko range is going to include, among other facilities, an integrated exercise centre, shooting ranges for wheeled and track-chassis vehicles, or sniper rifle ranges.
Drawsko facilities are also going to feature a CQB building, vehicle maintenance stations or a pistol shooting range, along with a unit which would be used in case of the chemical warfare exercises. It was also stressed that the investment is going to cover the social facilities as well.
During the meeting of the National Defence Comission, Minister Mroczek recalled the plans, the aim of which is to establish the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicles base in Mirosławiec. The unit is going to become operable on Jan. 1st 2016, it would be additionally equipped with the mini-class UAV’s, along with the tactical short and medium range systems (procured within the scope of the Orlik and Gryf programmes), and MALE (Medium Altitude, Long Endurance) systems. The latter UAV’s are going to be acquired for the Polish Army as a part of the Zefir programme.
Mirosławiec base is also going to receive funds coming from a series of investments, the aim of which would be to prepare the facility for formation of the new unit. The works are going to cover the construction process related to the hangars and proper preparation of the storage space for the armament and for the spare parts.