Announced in February 2026, Poland is undertaking a comprehensive transformation of its military to create a mass army capable of prolonged high-intensity conflict, targeting a force size of 300,000 active-duty personnel supported by 200,000 reservists under the Armed Forces Development Program for 2025–2039. This shift follows lessons from the Ukraine conflict and signifies a break from the post-Cold War European minimalistic defense posture. Poland’s strategy combines numerical buildup, universal or near-universal military training, and integration of advanced technologies, including long-range precision strike and AI-supported command across land, sea, air, cyber, and electromagnetic domains. The government plans large-scale military training of every adult male, inspired by the Swiss system, promoting defence as a widespread social responsibility. Poland currently spends over 4 percent of its GDP on defence, the highest level in NATO, locking this into constitutional law and emphasizing domestic defense industry expansion to ensure supply chains and sustainment for wartime resilience. The strategy incorporates addressing demographic challenges, economic constraints, and the risks of drawing resources from other policy priorities. This expansive military development changes expectations within NATO by strengthening frontline defense while raising broader territorial defence ambitions. Poland’s efforts respond to the undermining of European security assumptions post-1991 and the impact of Russia’s ongoing aggression, signaling a fundamental recalibration of NATO’s eastern posture through mass mobilisation, technological adoption, and societal defence engagement.
Category: Military & Paramilitary Operations
Subcategory: Conventional Military Pressure
Incident Type: Troop movements near borders
Country: Poland
Source report: www.bbc.com/news/arti…
