300 vehicles, 4,000 soldiers and 88 banner mails, 50 aircraft and 20 sea units – this year's Polish Army Christmas parade is presented in figures under the motto "Thank you for your service". But dry data will not give back what could be seen and lived in Warsaw and Hel.
The parade through the streets of the capital traditionally began a march of pedestrian wards. Before the President, Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Head of the General Staff of the Polish Army and crowded spectators were presented soldiers of all types of armed forces – land troops, naval forces, air forces, peculiar troops and territorial defence troops. Wisłostrada was besides filmed by military alliance quotas from the United States, large Britain, France and Romania, as well as representations of the North East Multinational Division and Eurocorpus.
After passing the pedestrian sections, a column of vehicles moved. As on the battlefield, the armored fist of the Polish Army showed itself. You could admire Abrams, K2 and Leopard. Immediately they were followed by those types of troops that would give armored vehicles the essential support, i.e. barrel and rocket artillery, anti-aircraft defence sub-division vehicles, infantry transporters and method security.
This year's novelty on the parade was the Abrams tanks in the SEPv3 version, which have been equipped with the Polish Army since January of this year. This is the latest version of the American base tank Abrams produced by General Dynamics Land Systems. The main weapon of the tank is simply a smooth-bore 120 mm M256 cannon, which was adapted to the latest types of ammunition, including programmable ones. Abrams in this version was equipped with an advanced fire control strategy and ancillary weapons in the form of a remotely controlled CROWS weapon module with a 12.7 mm large caliber device weapon and 2 7.62 mm device guns.
The debutists who presented themselves to Poles at the parade were besides the reconnaissance vehicles of the Legwan. These are 4×4 mobile trucks, armor that provides the crew with ballistic protection compatible at level I according to STANAG 4569 and a 225 hp diesel engine. Thanks to the rotor on the roof, it will be possible to replace a 12.7 mm, 7.62 mm or 40 mm grenade launcher.
Air force machines flew over the heads of crowds of spectators. We could see F-16 fighters, FA-50 and M-346 Bielik, Hercules and CASA transports and respective types of helicopters, including the latest acquisitions of the Polish Army – Black Hawks, AW149 and Apache AH-64D.
In addition to Polish pilots, airmen from allied armies presented themselves: American F-35 fighters, Swedish Gripeny, German Eurofighters or Australian aircraft early informing E-7A Wedgetail. Importantly, these machines did not come to Poland on the occasion of the military holiday. They are stationed in our country on a regular basis, where their crews are on work as part of the NATO Air Police Mission. Its aim is to strengthen the protection of the sky over the east flank of NATO. We besides thank them for this service.
However, the biggest novelty of this year's celebrations of the Polish Army was the naval parade organized off the coast of the Hel Peninsula. It could besides be admired in Warsaw – on 19 telebimes. The sailors were able to present their ships to Poles, so in the parade formation we could see, among others, the submarine ORP "Earl", the fregata ORP "Gen. T. Kościuszko" and the ORP "Gen. K. Pulaski" and the destroyers of the mines of the ORP "Albatros" and the ORP "Meva". Naval Air Force helicopters and early informing aircraft Saab 340 AEW were presented in the air.
