A Polish Military Contingent (PKW) of up to 70 soldiers will operate within a NATO Task Group from 1 January to 15 August 2026 in the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian Sea and the North Sea, as well as in the Atlantic Ocean, carrying out tasks including the protection of allied shipping. The President of the Republic of Poland, Karol Nawrocki, signed a decision to this effect.
The signing of the decision by President Karol Nawrocki, which has already been published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Poland (Monitor Polski), was announced on Wednesday by the National Security Bureau (BBN). As уточified, the Polish contingent, numbering up to 70 soldiers together with the necessary support and equipment, will be deployed to reinforce the forces of allied states.
What will Polish soldiers be responsible for?
Within the NATO Task Group, Polish soldiers will be responsible for “maintaining the security of allied shipping through searching for, patrolling and destroying dangerous underwater objects, primarily arsenals hazardous to navigation that were sunk during both world wars, as well as clearing mines and other dangerous underwater objects from port approaches, constrained waters and shipping lanes.”
In addition, the tasks of the PKW will include “building operational awareness through route patrols and the demonstration of the presence, unity and determination of the North Atlantic Alliance.”
The decision to deploy military units outside the country is taken by the president at the request, depending on the situation, of the government or the prime minister. Currently, Polish soldiers are participating in more than a dozen foreign contingents in various parts of the world. They are involved in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank – including contingents in Romania and Latvia – are engaged in stabilisation and training missions in volatile regions of the Middle East – such as Iraq and Lebanon – take part in international missions in the Balkans (in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina), and are involved in patrol operations in the Mediterranean Sea.