Polish Military Becomes NATO's Third Largest Force.

According to NATO's latest estimates for this year, the Polish military has now become the third-largest military force within the alliance and the largest in Europe, with a total of 216,100 personnel. This figure places Poland only behind the United States, which has 1.3 million personnel, and Turkey, with 481,000 members. Following Poland are the French armed forces with 204,700 personnel, Germany with 185,600, Italy with 171,400, and the United Kingdom with 138,100. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link

In 2024, the Polish military recorded the highest number of new recruits since the end of compulsory military service (Picture source: Polish MoD)

Over the last decade, the size of the Polish military has more than doubled. In 2014, it had only 99,000 personnel and was ranked ninth in NATO. This figure gradually increased over the years, reaching 116,200 in 2020, at which time it was still only the eighth largest in NATO. However, since then, the number of personnel has rapidly increased, surpassing all other NATO countries except the United States and Turkey. In March 2022, a new national defense law set a goal to double the size of Poland’s armed forces to 300,000 personnel, including 250,000 professional soldiers and 50,000 territorials. That year, the Polish military recorded the highest number of new recruits since the end of compulsory military service.

At that time, then-Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak stated that "the Polish army would become the most powerful land force in Europe" through the expansion of recruitment, procurement, and modernization. Today, Jacek Siewiera, head of Poland’s National Security Bureau (BBN), stated that new NATO data confirm that "Poland having the largest army in Europe has become a reality." He added that the increase in the size of the Polish military is "a factor that averts the specter of war."

Over the past ten years, Poland has significantly intensified its international armament partnerships as part of its military modernization strategy and national security strengthening. One of the most significant partnerships has been with the United States, marked by the purchase of Patriot missile defense systems in 2018, a multi-billion-dollar deal aimed at enhancing Polish air defense. More recently, in 2020, Poland concluded an agreement to acquire 32 F-35 Lightning II combat aircraft, thus bolstering its air defense capabilities with this cutting-edge technology.

Furthermore, cooperation with South Korea has become a major focus, culminating in the purchase of K2 Black Panther tanks and K9 Thunder howitzers in 2021, demonstrating the expansion of Poland's military cooperation beyond NATO borders.

In addition to increasing its military personnel, Poland has also taken significant steps to increase its defense spending. According to NATO's 'Defense Expenditure of NATO Countries (2014-2023)' report, Poland shows a defense spending rate estimated at 3.93% of its GDP for 2023, thus leading the NATO list, ahead of the United States at 3.24% and Greece at 3.05%. Since 2014, Poland is fourth in terms of defense spending growth with an increase of 190%, behind Latvia at 208.87%, Hungary at 213.26%, and Lithuania at 302.46%. These efforts reflect Poland's ongoing commitment to strengthening its defense posture within the alliance.