Territorial Defence Forces
Polish Ministry of Defence: Changed Priorities
Pistolet SPS. Fot. Vitaly V. Kuzmin/CC BY-SA 4.0
Creating a Territorial Defence component, modernizing the air defence system, development of the armoured forces, cyber-defence and maritime security in the Baltic Sea – these are the priorities that are going to shape the budgetary and modernization works undertaken by the Polish Ministry of Defence. The above-mentioned focal points were presented during the annual briefing for the leadership of the Ministry and the Army, by Antoni Macierewicz, Polish Defence Minister.In the meantime, PM Beata Szydło submitted a declaration related to the defence expenditure. Szydło stressed the fact that modernization of the Army shall be based on the domestic industrial potential.
Antoni Macierewicz, Polish Minister of Defence, at the end of the briefing for the leadership of the Ministry of Defence, which also involved President Andrzej Duda along with Prime Minister Beata Szydło, defined the new directions for the technological modernization programme. The main tasks shall include creation of a territorial defence component, modernization of the air defence system, expansion of the armoured units and taking care of the cyber-security area. The Defence Ministry is also willing to ensure a proper level of security within the Baltic Sea.
I have presented, during the briefing, a reconstruction plan for the modernization programme, so that the initiative is focused on feasible and the most important elements guaranteeing, in the upcoming period, military security for Poland, along with a realistic capacity of cooperating with the allies
Head of the Polish Ministry of Defence stressed the fact that the reconstructed modernization plan, related to the equipment used by the Army, will require more funds. At the same time, as it was noted by the Polish Press Agency PAP, Macierewicz thanked PM Szydło for the declaration related to the national defence funds.
Statements made by Macierewicz and PM Szydło constitute an official confirmation of the fact, that relevant changes are going to be implemented in the army modernization process. It is peculiar that emphasis has been placed on cybernetic capabilities and on the territorial defence component, which were not provided for, within the framework of the original modernization plan. At the same time, air defence component and armoured units, along with maritime security, are treated as the priority.
At the moment we do not know the exact scope of changes which are to be introduced in the modernization plans pursued by the Polish Army. Funds will have an equal degree of relevance, since the technological modernization plan, based on 2% GDP equivalent defence expenditure, turned out to be underestimated, with missing funds in an amount of PLN 100 billion, which was announced by Antoni Macierewicz himself.