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NATO Forces Rehearse Contested Oder River Crossing in Poland’s DZIELNY BÓBR-25 Drill.
Poland has launched Exercise DZIELNY BÓBR-25, a major trilateral operation with German and French forces centered on a contested river crossing near Biała Góra. The drill tests NATO heavy formations in complex wet-gap operations that underpin Alliance mobility on the northeastern flank.
On 11 October 2025, Poland launched the exercise DZIELNY BÓBR-25, a trinational drill with German and French forces focused on overcoming a wide water obstacle on the Oder near the Biała Góra training area. The operation marks the year’s flagship maneuver for the 11th Lubusz Armoured Cavalry Division and validates heavy formations executing a contested wet-gap crossing, a complex mission central to NATO mobility on the Alliance’s northeastern flank. The news was first shared publicly as reported by the official account for the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces on X, and amplified by participating brigades.
The opening day of Brave Beaver-25 shows Poland and its allies investing in the hardest parts of land warfare, crossing, sustaining, and fighting on the far bank, so that heavy forces can maneuver when it matters, where it matters, and alongside partners who must be ready to do the same (Picture source: 10th and 11th Armored Caravan, Polish MoD)
Early training serials feature armored and engineer elements rehearsing embarkation, alignment with the river current, and protected debarkation while sappers from Krosno Odrzańskie secure the crossing lanes. Polish units are operating KTO Rosomak 8×8 amphibious carriers, PTS amphibious transporters, modular pontoon ferries (PP-64 Wstęga and the newer PFM/Daglezja-P), and, in follow-on phases, Leopard 2PL tanks and WR-40 Langusta rocket artillery to practice fires integration in support of bridging. Visuals from the ground show Rosomak crews entering the water under their own power and waterjets, underscoring the vehicle’s amphibious role in the assault echelons. According to divisional planning, allied detachments from Germany and France are present for combined riverine operations.
The equipment employed reflects Poland’s river-crossing doctrine and its modernization track. Rosomak, Poland’s license-built Patria AMV, has seen operational service abroad and continues to evolve domestically with new mission kits; its design enables amphibious insertion at low river speeds while maintaining road mobility for rapid concentration. Engineer units pair legacy but robust PTS-series amphibious transporters with modular pontoon ferries (PP-64/PFM) to move heavy loads in high-flow conditions, while WR-40 Langusta provides 122 mm rocket fires from dispersed positions to suppress enemy banks and support bridging operations. This blend of proven amphibious lift and updated indirect-fire systems mirrors lessons learned on maneuver in river-rich European terrain.
Poland’s Leopard 2PL tanks provided heavy overwatch for the crossing, pairing a 120 mm Rh-120 L/44 capable of firing DM63A1 APFSDS and programmable DM11 HE with upgraded EMES-15 and PERI-R17 sights fitted with PCO KLW-1 Asteria third-generation thermals for day/night hunter-killer engagements. Retaining the 1,500 hp MTU MB 873 Ka-501 powerpack and weighing roughly 59–61 t after turret add-on armor, the 2PL keeps Leopard-class mobility while improving protection and fire-control precision on the far bank. That mass drives MLC 60+ bridging and ferry configurations, enabling engineers to bring 2PLs across early to secure the bridgehead with direct fire and persistent thermal observation as follow-on echelons build sustained crossing capacity.
The advantages of DZIELNY BÓBR-25 are twofold: tactically, it stresses command-and-control across armor, engineers, and fires under tight timelines, and it tests the 11th Division’s ability to synchronize breaching, obscuration, and logistics in a fluid current environment. Operationally, it validates multinational communications, common procedures, and safety protocols for ferrying mixed formations, a prerequisite for any rapid reinforcement scheme. Polish command has highlighted the exercise as a live check of integrated action with allied troops and a venue to refine the division’s defensive readiness on key river lines.
Strategically, rehearsing an Oder crossing with German and French participation signals credible Allied freedom of movement across central European waterways, an indispensable corridor for reinforcement routes linking Germany to Poland and onward to the Baltic region. The drill complements broader 2025 training cycles in Poland that emphasized allied cooperation at scale and showcased how heavy brigades can project combat power across natural barriers under realistic conditions. In a climate shaped by war on NATO’s borders, the ability to execute wet-gap crossings at division level both deters adversaries and underwrites the Alliance’s response options in the Suwałki–Baltic arc.
That focus on assured mobility across Europe’s river systems was echoed elsewhere in the region. On 2 October 2025, in the Martfű–Vezseny sector of the Tisza River, Hungarian forces executed a complex wet-gap crossing during the multinational Adaptive Hussars 2025 exercise, as reported by Army Recognition. Conducted under a scenario in which enemy forces had destroyed established crossing points, the operation combined armored vehicles, combat engineers, air defense and riverine assets, and even a cavalry-reconnaissance element from the Nádasdy hussars. The event drew attention because wet-gap crossings remain among the most hazardous combined-arms maneuvers in contemporary warfare. It also underscored NATO’s determination to maintain mobility in Central Europe, where large rivers and dense infrastructure make such exercises vital for reinforcement and deterrence.
The opening day of Brave Beaver-25 shows Poland and its allies investing in the hardest parts of land warfare, crossing, sustaining, and fighting on the far bank, so that heavy forces can maneuver when it matters, where it matters, and alongside partners who must be ready to do the same. It is a rehearsal not just of tactics, but of trust: validating that multinational brigades can coordinate under pressure, bridge natural obstacles, and deliver combat power across contested terrain. In an era where mobility is deterrence, exercises like this turn doctrine into action and alliances into capability.
Written by Teoman S. Nicanci – Defense Analyst, Army Recognition Group
Teoman S. Nicanci holds degrees in Political Science, Comparative and International Politics, and International Relations and Diplomacy from leading Belgian universities, with research focused on Russian strategic behavior, defense technology, and modern warfare. He is a defense analyst at Army Recognition, specializing in the global defense industry, military armament, and emerging defense technologies.