Poland staged its biggest military parade since the cold war. Photo/Reuters
WARSAW – Poland held the largest military parade since the Cold War in Warsaw on Tuesday (15/8/2023). This is an attempt to show the message that the NATO member states are flexing their military muscles that they are ready to fight against Russia and Belarus.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made upgrading the armed forces a priority for the Law and Justice Party (PiS), Poland’s ruling nationalist stronghold, and with the election campaign in full swing, the military’s mammoth display of hardware provides an opportunity to polish their security credentials.
The Armed Forces Day Parade, which took place on the 103rd anniversary of Poland’s victory over the Soviet Union in the Battle of Warsaw, saw 2,000 soldiers from Poland and other NATO countries march through the capital accompanied by 200 pieces of military equipment and 92 aircraft.
The parade covered some of Poland’s latest technology, including the US-made M1A1 Abrams tank, South Korea’s K2 tank and K9 self-propelled howitzer, HIMARS rocket launcher, Krab self-propelled howitzer, and US-made Patriot. missile battery system, which is part of Poland’s “WISŁA” air defense system.
“August 15 is not only an opportunity to pay tribute to the victorious heroes of the Battle of Warsaw and to thank contemporary soldiers for defending our homeland,” Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told troops and spectators gathered near the Vistula river.
“It is also the perfect day to demonstrate our strength, to show that we have built a strong armed force that will effectively defend our borders without hesitation.”
PiS, in power since 2015, has pledged to double its army size and spend about 4% of gross domestic product (GDP) on defense this year.
2023-08-15 15:26:43
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