Poland is planning to increase its army strength by about 50% in the next couple of years, according to a statement by the Polish Defence Minister Antoni Macierewicz. Ever since the start of the crisis in Eastern Ukraine and the annexation of Crimea in February 2014 the Polish state has been increasing its armed forces.
Poland has been working hard these past two years to increase its military capabilities. The measures that Poland has taken include the increasing of its defence budget to the 2% GDP standard as called for by NATO, modernisation of its military equipment and the reactivation of the Home Army, a group of 100.000 volunteers and reservists that will wage a guerrilla war against a possible invader.
The new increase of the Polish army will consists the creation of three new land brigades to be positioned at Poland’s eastern borders. Two of these brigades will be stationed against Russia while the third brigade will be stationed in the south at the border of Ukraine. All three brigades should become operational in early 2017.
It remains unknown where the first two brigades will be exactly stationed but the indication that they are to be deployed at the borders adjacent to Russia implies that they could be stationed near the Kaliningrad region and opposite Belarus. It should also be interesting to see how close these brigades are from the Suwalki Gap, the only land route between Eastern Europe and the Baltic States. Containment of the Russian forces in Kaliningrad as well as keeping the Suwalki Gap open are important tasks for the Polish armed forces in order for NATO to defend the Baltic States.
While Poland continues to invest in its military capabilities it becomes more and more clear that Poland will become a new military power in Eastern Europe, one that might become the centre of gravity for other NATO strategy and operations in the event of an armed conflict in Eastern Europe.
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