20 thousand. troops and 3,500 pieces of equipment: Poland will host the largest NATO exercise since the Cold War
The North Atlantic Alliance is preparing to conduct the largest military exercises in Poland since the end of the Cold War. The Dragon-24 maneuvers will begin on February 25, the second anniversary of Russia’s attack on Ukraine, and end on March 14.
This was reported on November 21 by the Polish agency Rzeczpospolita.
The article says that according to the command of the Polish Army, the scenario of the exercise involves a military response to an attack on Poland from the east. Preparations for the Dragon-24 exercise at training grounds in the Dravsko, Nova Demba, Bemovo Piske, and Bemovo Piske districts, as well as outside military zones, are already well underway.
The exercise will involve 15,000 Polish soldiers and several thousand soldiers from allied countries. In total, about 20,000 people from nine countries, including Americans, British, French, Germans, Spanish, and Turks.
Among them is a battalion of the US 3rd Infantry Division stationed in Poland. On the Polish side, the main forces will be ground troops: in particular, the 11th Lubuska Armored Cavalry and 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Divisions.
The military will have 3,500 pieces of equipment, including about 100 tracked vehicles. The maneuvers will involve, among other things, Abrams and K2 tanks, Chunmoo and HIMARS launchers, Krab and K9 self-propelled artillery systems. In addition to Polish tanks, American, Spanish, and French tanks will take part in the exercise.
In addition, the maneuvers will involve servicemen from special forces, territorial defense, air force and navy units. It is also possible that reservists will be called up to participate in the exercises.
“At the first stage of Dragon-24, soldiers will act in the reality of a crisis situation, and at the second stage – during a defense operation. The scenario assumes that our country has been attacked from the east. The background for this exercise is inspired by the events in Ukraine,” the Polish military emphasized.
