Polish Armed Forces
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (Polish: Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, pronounced [ˈɕiwɨ ˈzbrɔjnɛ ʐɛt͡ʂpɔsˈpɔlitɛj ˈpɔlskʲɛj]; abbreviated SZ RP), also called the Polish Armed Forces and popularly called Wojsko Polskie in Poland (roughly the "Polish Military"—abbreviated WP) are the national armed forces of the Republic of Poland. The name has been used since the early 19th century, but can also be applied to earlier periods. The Polish Legions and the Blue Army, composed of Polish volunteers from America and those who switched sides from the Central Powers, were formed during World War I. In the war's aftermath, the Polish Army was reformed from the remnants of the partitioning powers' forces and expanded significantly during the Polish–Soviet War of 1920.
World War II dramatically impacted Polish military structures, with the initial defeat by Nazi Germany and Soviet Union invasions leading to the dispersion of Polish forces. After the war, Poland came under the Soviet sphere of influence and the army eventually became the communist Polish People's Army (LWP). The LWP's reputation suffered due to its role in political suppression both domestically and abroad, such as during the Prague Spring. Post-communism, Poland shifted towards Western military standards, joining NATO in 1999 and undertaking substantial modernization of its forces.
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland consist of the Wojska Lądowe (Polish Land Forces), Marynarka Wojenna (Polish Navy), Siły Powietrzne (Polish Air Forces), Wojska Specjalne (Polish Special Forces) and Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej (Polish Territorial Defence Force) and Military Police polish Żandarmeria wojskowa which are under the command of the Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (Ministry of National Defence of Poland). According to SIPRI, Poland spent $31.6 billion on its defense budget in 2023, ranking 14th in the world in terms of military expenditures.[6] In 2023, Poland spent the greatest share of its GDP for military expenditures (3.9%) among all NATO members.[7]
Pursuant to the national security strategy of Poland, the supreme strategic goal of Poland's military forces is to ensure favourable and secure conditions for the realization of national interests by eliminating external and internal threats, reducing risks, rightly assessing undertaken challenges, and ably using existing opportunities.[8] The Republic of Poland's main strategic goals in the area of defence include:
The Polish Armed Forces consist of 292,000+ active duty personnel.[18] In 2023, troop strength in the five different branches was as follows:
All five branches are supported by: