Armed Forces
Polish Tanks – Core of the NATO “Spearhead” force?
Polish Army’s tank Battalion will be a part of the “temporary” NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, which is to reach its combat readiness as soon as next year.
Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Grzegorz Schetyna, in his statement quoted by the Polish Press Agency claimed that a Polish tank battalion is to be a part of the temporary NATO Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (a. k. a. the Spearhead). This elements are to reach their combat readiness as soon as in the beginning of 2015, in order to provide a possibility to react to potential threats before the target structural elements of the spearhead become combat-ready, which is planned to happen in 2016.
Decision on forming “temporary” quick response force has been taken during the meeting of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the NATO member states on 2nd December. NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, has stated that these forces will be capable to achieve combat readiness within “a few” days, and they will be composed out of elements of the German, Dutch and Norwegian Armed Forces.
NATO decided on creation of the “Spearhead” during the Newport summit, especially in the light of the threat posed by the Russian Federation. The basic assumption is that the unit consists of several thousand soldiers of the land forces, with additional support from the air forces, navies and special forces. As it has been stated, the target structural composition of the “Spearhead” is to be ready for potential involvement by 2016.
Most probably composition of the NATO quick response units will include a Polish tank battalion with the Leopard 2 tanks, due to the fact that it is the Leopards, that are the latest tanks included in the inventory of the Polish Army. Units of the 10th Armoured Cavalry Brigade, equipped with Leopard 2A4 tanks were involved in the Black Eagle exercise, along with the British Army’s battalion battle group.