Poland stages biggest military parade showcasing NATO cutting-edge aircraft
Poland celebrates Armed Forces Day (photo: Getty Images)
Warsaw hosted a large-scale military parade marking Polish Armed Forces Day on Saturday, August 15. Nearly 2,000 Polish and allied troops took part, along with around 300 pieces of modern military equipment, according to PAP.
New ranks, parade participants
Polish Armed Forces Day celebrations took place across the country, with the main event being the parade along Warsaw's Vistula Boulevards and the naval ceremony in Gdynia.
Before the festivities began, the president of Poland presented general's insignia to 21 officers. Mariusz Chmielewski, commander of the Cyber Defense Forces, received his second star and the rank of major general, while Renart Skrzypczak, commander of the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade, was promoted to brigadier general.
Among the event's honored guests was Andrzej Poczobut, an activist from Poland's ethnic minority who was released from imprisonment in Belarus.
In addition to Polish units, troops from the United States, Britain, Canada, Croatia and Romania marched in the parade, along with the French Foreign Legion and soldiers from the Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian Brigade based in Lublin.
Air show, heavy equipment
The aerial portion of the parade featured AW149 and Apache helicopters, F-16 fighter jets and the latest F-35s, the first of which Poland received in May.
Polish pilots were joined in the sky by allied NATO aircraft, including German Eurofighter Typhoons and A400M transport planes.
On the ground, spectators were shown modern weapons systems:
- Armored vehicles and artillery: Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles, Rosomak armored personnel carriers, Leopard 2PL, K2 and Abrams tanks, as well as K9 and Krab self-propelled howitzers and HIMARS rocket systems.
- Air defense systems: Patriot, Pilica+ and Poprad launchers.
- Drones: Gladius, FlyEye, FT-5, Warmate and Wizjer reconnaissance and strike systems.
Naval parade in Gdynia
A naval parade was held simultaneously in the waters of the Gulf of Gdansk. It featured Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, the Kaszub corvette, minehunters and amphibious landing ships.
Aircraft and helicopters maneuvered over the sea, including Bryza aircraft, AW101 helicopters, and a Saab 340 AEW&C airborne early warning and control aircraft.
Polish Armed Forces Day
This day is celebrated every year on August 15 to commemorate the victory in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw. At the time, Polish forces stopped and defeated the Bolshevik offensive near the capital.
Warsaw strengthens its defenses
As previously reported, Poland is steadily strengthening its position on the international stage and demonstrating its determination on security issues.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk noted that large-scale modernization, the purchase of modern weapons, and rapid economic growth mean that the Polish government's policy will allow the army to become the largest in Europe.
At the same time, Warsaw is actively defending its technological and digital interests. Following a tough stance from the Polish side and threats to review multimillion-dollar contracts and refuse to pay for services, Elon Musk complied with Warsaw's demands regarding the use of Starlink.
This helped maintain stable access to satellite communications and return Poland to the unified European roaming zone for the service.
