Poland Holds Huge Military Parade

By Staff, Agencies

Some 2,000 troops from Poland and other NATO countries took part in the parade as well as 200 military vehicles and other equipment and almost 100 aircraft.

“August 15 is not only an opportunity to pay homage to the heroes of the victorious Battle of Warsaw and to thank contemporary soldiers for defending our homeland,” Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak told troops and onlookers who had gathered near the Vistula River.

He further said: “It is also a perfect day to show our strength, to show that we have built powerful armed forces that will effectively defend our borders without hesitation.”

Poland’s army has more than 175,000 troops, an increase from approximately 100,000 eight years ago, Duda said.

He also said Poland’s defense budget this year will be a record 137 billion zlotys [$34bn] or some 4 percent of the gross domestic product [GDP], the highest proportion in all of NATO.

“The goal of this huge modernization is to equip Poland’s armed forces and create such a defence system that no one ever dares attack us, that Polish soldiers will never need to fight,” Duda said, while voicing his respect for the military.