New Year, new goals for Poland’s security

According to Pawel Soloch, the Secretary of State, Head of the National Security Bureau, Poland will have to focus on implementing of a number of reforms in order to provide country’s security in 2020 and beyond. The main challenges ahead include: implementation of the 2nd phase of the command chain reform, re-introduction of separate commands of particular branches of the Polish armed forces or reforming the civil defense system. Soloch also declared his ambition to establish an Armament Agency, which would be responsible for procurement of weapon systems on behalf of the Ministry of Defense (MoD).

Soloch informed that the 2nd phase of command system’s reform will focus mostly on restoring separate commands of particular branches of the Armed Forces, such as the Air Force, Army, Navy, Special Forces or Territorial Defense Forces. The concept calls also for establishing of a post of a Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. ‘In the past year the President expressed his expectation (…) of finalization of the 2nd phase of the reform’, said Pawel Soloch in an interview with the Polish Press Agency (Polska Agencja Prasowa, PAP).

He also added that the evaluation of the 1st phase of the command system’s reform will take place after the conclusion of the NATO-led Defender-Europe 2020 exercise, which will test the ability to deploy of a division-size combat-credible force from the United States to Europe.

The head of the National Security Bureau also informed that the President expects the MoD and Government to make a final decision on selecting a preferred industry partner for the ‘Narew’ short range air-and-missile defense programme as well as to commence finalization of the 2nd phase of the ‘Wisla’ medium range AMD system. The head of the country also awaits speeding up of the procurement of 32 F-35A Lightning II 5th generation multirole fighter aircraft.