Poland targets 500,000 troops by 2039 under new military plan
Poland’s military plans to expand to 500,000 troops by 2039 under a long-term defense program that prioritizes multi-domain operations, deterrence and advanced technologies, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces said on Friday.
Photo:PAP/Marcin Bielecki
The country’s armed forces will grow to include 300,000 active-duty soldiers and 200,000 reservists, including a newly established high-readiness reserve, under the new Armed Forces Development Program.
Signed in December by Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, the classified document outlines seven strategic priorities for transforming Poland’s military, state news agency PAP reported.
A central pillar of the plan is strengthening capabilities in all five operational domains—land, air, sea, space and cyberspace—as well as in the information environment and electromagnetic spectrum.
It also includes building the capacity for cognitive operations.
The program envisions two layers of deterrence: “deterrence by punishment,” using precision strike systems to neutralize enemy centers of gravity, and “deterrence by denial,” focused on integrated missile, air and drone defenses to protect military forces and civilians.
Unmanned systems and robotics will be rolled out broadly across all branches and combat functions, including reconnaissance, strike, logistics and decision support.
Artificial intelligence will support planning and command operations to give Poland an informational and decision-making edge.
Improving training quality, intensifying exercises and overhauling the reserve readiness system are also key goals.
The plan stresses the importance of a large, well-prepared reserve as a critical component of national defense, especially in high-intensity conflict—a lesson drawn from the war in Ukraine.
„The adoption of this plan marks a critical step toward building a modern, numerous, and technologically advanced armed force capable of credible deterrence and, if necessary, winning a defensive war,” the General Staff said.
(jh/gs)
Source: Polish Radio, PAP, wojsko-polskie.pl
Radio Poland
