Polish Armed Forces to form division on border with Belarus

The division will be stationed in the North-Eastern region of Poland – Podlasie, at the Suwalki Gap. Its creation comes four years after Poland’s last new division was formed – the 18th Mechanized Division stood up back in 2018, Overt Defense reported.

Polish military outlet Defence 24 reported that the division will consist of four brigades (each composed of four battalions) and attachedthem will be an artillery brigade. This is supposedly a result of the experiences of the war in Ukraine that influenced the reformation of artillery units in the Polish Armed Forces.

At an event unveiling the new division at Białystok, Blaszczak said that due to the Ukraine war, the task of the Polish authorities is to build a strong Polish Army.

Poland aims to bolster its defensive potential by keeping three main divisions in line in the East (the 16th Mechanized, 18th Mechanized and 1st Infantry Divisions) with two divisions in reserve in the West (11th Armored and 12th Mechanized).

The division will be equipped with the most modern vehicles and systems soon to be entering Polish service. An armored battalion equipped with M1A2 SEP v3 and the recently purchased M1A1 may be integrated into the division. It is certain that the attached artillery brigade will be equipped with the Polish AS Krab and Korean K9 howitzers that are a part of the vast modernization currently underway in the Polish Armed Forces.

MNA/PR