The maneuvers will begin in September. General Wiesław Kukuła, Head of the General Staff of the Polish Army, spoke about them at the beginning of the year. He mentioned at the time that there had not been utilized divisional exercises in Poland for years, i.e. those involving most of the units and soldiers who are part of a large tactical union, which is the division.
"The Iron Defender" is simply a large military exercise across Poland. Here are the details.
According to the General Staff of the Polish Army, 1 of the tasks during these exercises will be to check to what degree the units 18. The Mechanized Division has already been able to implement systematically delivered modern equipment, including M1 Abrams tanks. The participation of this division, which is called "The Iron", was the motive to give action the codename "The Iron Defender".
As many as 34,000 soldiers are to be involved. They will represent all types of armed forces: Air Force, Navy, peculiar Forces and Territorial defence Army. About 600 units of equipment are being prepared.
Also to be carried out are command-and-stack exercises involving Americans from the 1st Armoured Division and the 5th U.S. Armed Forces Corps from Poznań. As the main nonsubjective of the full action "presents the interoperability of the Armed Forces of Poland".
Answer to Russia and Belarus?
"The integration of activities on land, in air, at sea and in cyberspace will be crucial," says the Communication.
It was stressed that manoeuvres would be defensive. They were planned on the grounding ground in Orzysz (Warmia-Mazury Province), Nowa Dęba (Pomorskie Province) and Ustka (Pomorskie Province), as well as outside the grounding. So the troops will travel on public roads and by rail.
"The full task is designed not only to strengthen Poland's and NATO's defence capabilities, but besides to show the readiness to defend together and to deter possible opponents in the context of current geopolitical challenges", added.
There have been voices that the "Iron Defender" is the consequence to the September exercises "Zapad 2025" in Belarus. 150 000 soldiers from Russia and Belarus are to participate.
