“Defender-Europe 20 exercises are a strong confirmation of Polish-US joint commitment to security” said the head of the Ministry of National Defense, Mariusz Błaszczak on Wednesday at the briefing on Polish-American cooperation.
The minister pointed out that strategic forces transfer trained within Defender-Europe 20 is one of the key capabilities necessary to ensure Poland’s enduring security. “It is a very important test not only for the armed forces but also for administration and non-military institutions” he said. Blaszczak drew attention to the fact that the extent of this exercise is impressive as almost 37 thousand soldiers from 18 countries will take part in a series of exercises within Defender-Europe 20. “Of which 20 thousand will be transferred to our continent directly from the United States” he added. Poland actively participates in the exercise. “Our contribution is not only over 2 thousand soldiers, heavy equipment, aviation, road, railways or ports infrastructure. It is also a very numerous group of people from the civilian sector and other services, such as the police, fire brigade and border guard” he stated. The maneuvers are scheduled to take place from February to April.