For five years now, June has been associated with GROTowisko in the Territorial Defence Forces—a conference and shooting competition organized to facilitate the exchange of experiences among users of the MSBS Grot. This year, the event will take place over the weekend of June 14–15 at the military complex in Zegrze and at the Bellona Marynino shooting range (GROTowisko 2024: Grot A3 and other innovations).
Photo: Territorial Defence Force Command (DWOT)
GROTowisko-25: two days with Grot
The theoretical portion of GROTowisko-25, taking place on June 14, will include representatives from the Territorial Defence Forces Command, the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, the Armed Forces Operational Command, the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate, the GRYF Special Operations Unit, and the Main Headquarters of the Border Guard. A panel led by the Łucznik–Radom Arms Factory—the event’s co-organizer—will also be featured. The conference will cover topics such as the operation and best practices for using the Grot rifle, the evolution of weapon systems, analysis of maintenance and service experience, and the effectiveness of various sighting systems.
A shooting competition will take place at the Bellona Marynino range on the following day, June 15, where participants will primarily use the MSBS Grot rifle. This year, in addition to standard shooting events in individual and team categories, extra challenges will be introduced that require physical fitness. Participants will have the chance to test themselves in events such as timed rope climbs, pull-ups and bar muscle-ups, burpees, farmer’s walks with crates, and rope-assisted terrain crossing. Additionally, observation exercises using drones are also scheduled.
What is GROTowisko?
GROTowisko was launched in 2021. The annual conferences are organized in response to the need to minimize risks identified by the then custodian of the MSBS rifle system. The introduction of the modern MSBS Grot into the Polish Armed Forces requires not only a shift in mindset and habits shaped over decades among users and instructors, but also the development of a new culture of weapon operation—one that fully leverages the potential of the new design in both training and combat. The GROTowisko conferences are intended to facilitate the exchange and dissemination of lessons learned during the implementation and use of the Grot rifle, helping to reduce the likelihood of repeated mistakes and to promote best practices. Since improving the weapon system itself is equally important, the conference also aims to build trust and establish direct communication channels between end users and engineers.
From 2017 to 2021, the Territorial Defence Forces Command served as the equipment manager for the MSBS rifle family. Since 2022, it has acted as the Expert Institution in this area.