Poland Establishes Rocket Unit in the Armed Forces After 18-Year Hiatus

After an 18-year hiatus, the Polish Armed Forces will see the establishment of a rocket artillery unit. This was announced by the head of the Polish Ministry of Defense, Mariusz Blaszczak, during a ceremony marking the decision to create the "HIMARS Academy" and the 1st Rocket Brigade, held in the village of Kyievo in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, as reported by Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.

In 2005, the Polish army disbanded its last squadron equipped with "Tochka" missiles, which had a range of 70 kilometers. Now, the Polish army will have access to the HIMARS missile system, capable of hitting targets at distances of up to 300 kilometers, making it an effective deterrent against aggressors, including countering potential Russian invasions.

"This is the type of weaponry in the inventory of the Polish Armed Forces. Today, we have seen that in the hands of Polish soldiers, who have been trained both in the USA and Poland, it is an excellent tool for deterring aggressors," said Mariusz Blaszczak.

In order to prepare specialists and command personnel in rocket artillery, the "HIMARS Academy" is being established, which will focus on logistics and maintenance of artillery systems.

Mariusz Blaszczak emphasized that the main goal of the Polish authorities is to equip the army with effective and proven weapons to deter aggressors, particularly Russia, from any attempts to invade Poland. He expressed confidence that the HIMARS missile system, in the hands of well-trained Polish soldiers who have received training both in the USA and Poland, is an excellent instrument to achieve this objective.

It was also announced that the first HIMARS installations will arrive in Poland, and in the future, a specialized "HIMARS Academy" will be established in Toruń to train soldiers in the operation of launchers and provide logistics and maintenance support for this equipment.

In addition, it is worth mentioning that a service and repair center for Leopard 2 tanks, supplied to Ukraine by Western partners, including Germany, has started operations at the Bumar-Labedy plant in Gliwice, Poland.