New weapons systems of the Polish ground forces (2018)

What weapons require a permit?

We will not talk about specific types of weapons (we will talk about this below), but about the purposes for which they can be issued. This is a fundamental point, because The technology for obtaining a license depends on it.

According to Polish law, weapons can be obtained for:

• personal protection;
• hunting;
• sports;
• training;
• historical reconstruction;
• collecting;
• storage of commemorative weapons (donated as a keepsake, including those passed on by inheritance);
• other cases (including those not related to direct operation, for example, repairs, transportation, etc.).

The type of weapon itself and its parameters may depend on these goals. For example, it is unlikely that a pistol will be registered as a hunting weapon, or a double-barreled shotgun for the purpose of personal safety, and collectible weapons may even require rendering them functionally unusable.

For these purposes, we will further consider ways to obtain licenses. Let us immediately mention that both individuals and legal entities (for example, shooting ranges, shops, etc.) can obtain permission.

Poland is intensively rearming

Recently, a lot has been said and written about the expansion of NATO to the east and the creation of the bloc’s infrastructure in Eastern Europe, the states of which, with tenacity worthy of better use, are turning into “front-line” states. A particularly tense situation is developing in the Baltic region, which is already beginning to be called the modern “powder keg” of Europe (by analogy with the Balkans at the beginning of the last century, where the First World War came from). Poland and the three Baltic countries (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) were at the epicenter of events here. In this regard, we offer a series of articles devoted to the armed forces of Poland and the Baltic states, the formation of NATO infrastructure on their territory and the extent to which NATO activities in Eastern Europe threaten Russia and what steps can be taken in response to it. Now we bring to your attention the first article devoted to the Polish armed forces.

NATO pledge not to expand

In 1990, when the issue of German unification was being decided, Western leaders assured USSR President Mikhail Gorbachev and USSR Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze that NATO would not expand eastward. The promises, however, were made rather vague, and the Soviet leaders of that time, for still unknown reasons, did not bother to at least try to translate these words into binding international agreements.

It is not surprising that after the collapse of the USSR and global geopolitical shifts in Central and Eastern Europe, the West immediately abandoned these promises and, moreover, does not recognize their existence at all. For example, the American private intelligence and analytical company Stratfor, which is sometimes called the “shadow CIA,” stated in 2014 that “no promises were broken because no one made them.” And this is not the only statement of this kind.

One way or another, since 1999, twelve countries from Central and Eastern Europe have joined NATO.

Among these states are Poland, which became a member of the North Atlantic Alliance on March 12, 1999, and the three Baltic states (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia), which joined NATO on March 29, 2004. The admission of these countries to NATO is of particular importance for Russia - all of them directly border with it, and the Baltic countries were part of the Soviet Union. Thus, having accepted them into its membership, the North Atlantic Alliance entered post-Soviet territory for the first time and clearly does not intend to stop there.

Quantitative characteristics of the Polish army

After Poland and the Baltic countries joined NATO, their armed forces and the military infrastructure belonging to them were at the disposal of NATO, which is often forgotten when by NATO forces in Central and Eastern Europe they mean only US troops, as well as Western European members of the Alliance.

And if the armed forces of the Baltic countries have quite a symbolic value for NATO and rather need protection from the outside, then the armed forces of Poland, at least in quantitative terms, look different.

Of course, they were significantly reduced compared to the Polish army during its membership in the Warsaw Pact. But reductions in armed forces also occurred in other European NATO countries. The US armed forces in Europe have also been significantly reduced. So, against their background, the Polish army, which has become completely professional since 2009, looks quite good numerically.

For example, the Polish army now has more than three times more tanks than the German army. It surpasses the German army in the number of armored combat vehicles (1.1 times) and artillery pieces, multiple launch rocket systems and mortars (almost 3.5 times). There are as many submarines in the Polish fleet as in the German one.

Data on the size of the Polish armed forces according to the authoritative English reference book The Military Balance 2016 are given in the table.

The number of armed forces and weapons of Poland

Qualitative characteristics of the Polish armed forces

However, if we look at the qualitative state of the Polish army, the picture does not look so rosy. In this respect, it is inferior to the leading armies of NATO countries, such as the USA, Great Britain, Germany, and France.

A significant part of the weapons and equipment is still Soviet-made. Thus, the bulk of the tank fleet consists of T-72 tanks, produced under Soviet license in the 1980s. The main infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) is the first Soviet BMP-1, which was put into service in the USSR back in 1966. The 122-mm self-propelled howitzer "Gvozdika" was put into service in the USSR in 1971, and the 152-mm self-propelled howitzer the Dana howitzer gun is also a weapon from the 1970s.

Self-propelled gun-howitzer vz.77 “Dana”. Source: tumblr.com

Multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS) "Grad" and RM-70 belong to the systems of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. Polish MiG-29A and UB fighters are the first series of aircraft built in the 1980s, which are inferior to the latest modifications of this aircraft. The Su-22M4 fighter-bombers are outdated (their Russian counterparts, the Su-17M4, were withdrawn from service in the mid-1990s).

Poland does not have a modern air defense system; the Soviet anti-aircraft missile systems (SAMs) in service (including those that have undergone modernization in Poland) do not meet modern requirements.

After Poland joined NATO, weapons began to flow into the country from other countries of the Alliance (primarily “used”). So, in 2002-2003. Poland received 128 Leopard 2A4 tanks, previously in service with the Bundeswehr, almost free of charge. In 2014-2015 The troops received another 14 Leopard 2A4 tanks and 91 Leopard 2A5 tanks (all of them were also previously in service with the German ground forces).

In 2004, Germany transferred to Poland (at a symbolic price of one euro per aircraft) 22 MiG-29 fighters, which the Bundesluftwaffe received from the former GDR after the unification of Germany. The Polish Navy received in 2002-2004. from Norway four German-built Kobben submarines from the 1960s. last century and in 2000 and 2002. from the USA two frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry class, built in 1980.

The largest purchase of new equipment was 48 American F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter-bombers, one of the last series received by the Polish Air Force in 2006-2008.

F-16 Fighting Falcon. Source: f-16.net.

The national defense industry also made a certain contribution to rearmament. We are talking mainly about modified Soviet models of equipment and weapons, or about production under foreign licenses. Based on the Polish version of the Soviet AK-74 assault rifle (wz.88 Tantal), the wz.96 Beryl assault rifle (already chambered for 5.56 mm NATO) was developed and put into service in 1997.

In 1995-2002 the main battle tank PT-91 Twardy was produced (a deep modernization of the Soviet T-72). In 2004, wheeled multi-purpose armored fighting vehicles (AFVs) Rosomak began to be produced under a Finnish license. The Spike anti-tank missile system is produced under Israeli license. Based on the Soviet MLRS BM-21 Grad, the WR-40 Langusta was developed and put into production.

WR-40 Langusta. Source: wikimedia.org

Based on the modernized chassis of the T-72 tank, using the license-produced turret of the British AS-90 self-propelled howitzer, the 155-mm Krab self-propelled howitzer was created. However, due to problems with the engine and chassis, only eight self-propelled guns were delivered (in 2012), which, according to the British directory The Military Balance 2016, are no longer listed in the Polish armed forces. All subsequent vehicles of this type, the production of which will resume in 2016 after modifications, will use the chassis of the South Korean K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer.

Modernization of the Polish Armed Forces

The current modernization of the Polish armed forces is carried out on the basis of two documents approved by the Ministry of National Defense on December 11, 2012. These are the “Technical Modernization Plan” and the “Armed Forces Development Program for 2013-2022”. In total, it is planned to spend about $43 billion on the purchase and modernization of weapons and military equipment.

In particular, starting from 2022, it is planned to upgrade all Leopard 2A4 tanks to the new Leopard 2PL standard. Deliveries of Rosomak wheeled armored fighting vehicles will continue, incl. in new versions. In 2016, production of 120 mm Rak self-propelled mortars of 120 mm caliber on a wheeled chassis began. New vehicles are being developed on a universal modular tracked chassis (UMPG) - a heavy Gepard fire support vehicle with a 120 mm cannon (to replace the PT-91 and T-72 tanks) and a light Borsuk (to replace the BMP-1). It is planned to purchase 7 batteries of 155-mm Kryl wheeled self-propelled howitzers (from 2022). Artillerymen will also receive new WR-300 Homar MLRS with a firing range of up to 300 km (60 units should be purchased by 2022).

Self-propelled mortar Rak. Source: armyman.info.

Under the Kruk rearmament program, 24 American AH-64 Apache combat helicopters will be purchased and built under license (to replace the Mi-24). It was planned to purchase 50 H225M Caracal helicopters from Airbus as multi-purpose helicopters, but on October 4, 2016, negotiations on their acquisition were interrupted. Now the only real contender for the purchase remains the S-70i helicopter, which is assembled in Poland at the PZL-Mielec plant owned by the American company Sikorsky Aircraft. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), incl. drums.

For the Air Force, it is planned to buy 64 fifth-generation fighters with deliveries of the first in 2022. The modernization plan does not mention their specific type, but, given the fact that other options are not visible, these will be the American F-35A Lightning II. Polish F-16 fighter-bombers will be armed with American AGM-158 JASSM cruise missiles with a range of 370 km. It is expected that the first copies of the missiles will arrive in 2022. In the future, it is planned to purchase AGM-158B JASSM-ER missiles with an increased flight range (925 km).

F-35A Lightning II. Source: military.com

To create a modern air defense/missile defense system, it is planned to purchase new air defense systems. The American Patriot was selected as a medium-range air defense system within the framework of the Wisła program in April 2015. It is expected that the contract for the supply of 8 batteries of the Patriot air defense system, worth more than $5 billion, will be concluded by the end of 2016. The first two batteries should arrive in 2022.

Procurement of short-range air defense systems will be carried out according to the Narew program. A contractor for it will be selected in 2022. A total of 19 batteries are planned to be purchased. In addition, 77 Poprad self-propelled short-range systems (deliveries will begin in 2018) and Piorun man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS) (both systems of Polish design) will be purchased.

As part of the Orka program, the Polish Navy plans to acquire three submarines to replace the Kobben class submarines (with the first delivered in 2022). At the same time, they are going to equip the new submarines with cruise missiles. Orkan small missile ships receive Swedish RBS-15Mk3 anti-ship missiles with a launch range of 200 km. In Norway, NSM missiles with a maximum launch range of 185 km are being purchased for coastal defense complexes, and they can also be used against coastal targets.

The Polish army turns from west to east

Changes are also taking place in the structure and deployment of the Polish armed forces. If during the Warsaw Pact they were located primarily in the west, closer to the border with the GDR, and this deployment basically remained until 2014, then after the events in Ukraine it was decided to gradually strengthen the Polish military presence on the border with this country.

In 2015, it was announced that the number of soldiers and military equipment would be increased at the border with the Kaliningrad region of Russia. In 2014, the 9th Armored Cavalry Brigade of the 16th Pomeranian Mechanized Division named after King Kazimierz Jagiellonczyk in Braniewo already received new Polish PT-91 Twardy tanks. The 11th Masurian Artillery Regiment in Węgorzewo receives Krab self-propelled howitzers with a firing range of up to 40 kilometers. They also plan to deploy new HOMAR multiple launch rocket systems with a firing range of up to 300 km.

PT-91 Twardy. Source: militaryphotos.org

Polish Defense Minister Antoni Macierewicz aims to increase the size of the Polish armed forces to 150 thousand people. In September 2016, the formation of the fifth type of armed forces began (along with the ground forces, air force, navy and special forces) - the territorial defense troops (SOT), numbering about 35 thousand people (according to other sources - about 40 thousand).

In peacetime, the backbone of the territorial defense troops will be professional military personnel who will train volunteer reservists. Reservists will receive 500 zlotys monthly and will devote one day off to training every month. Personal weapons of reservists will be stored in district police commandant's offices, and heavier weapons will be stored in special warehouses.

In just a few years, it is planned to create 17 brigades, which will be located in each of the 16 Polish voivodeships (in the Masovian voivodeship, in which the capital Warsaw is located, there will be two brigades). First of all, three brigades will be formed along the eastern border (with headquarters in Bialystok in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, bordering Lithuania and Belarus, in Lublin in the Lublin Voivodeship, bordering Belarus and Ukraine, and in Rzeszow in the Podlaskie Voivodeship, bordering the Ukraine in the east).

Why is Poland arming itself?

The rearmament and build-up of the Polish armed forces is taking place amid speeches that Russia is “an existential threat to Europe and the whole world” (Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, April 2016), “the biggest threat to world security” (Minister of Defense Poland Antoni Macherevich, June 2016), etc.

The fact that Polish rearmament is directed against Russia is generally not hidden. This is evidenced, in particular, by the report “Arms to Deter: How Poland and NATO Should Confront a Resurgent Russia,” published in July 2016 by the Atlantic Council (an American non-governmental organization that provides NATO’s development ideology).

The report, in particular, proposes including Polish F-16 aircraft in NATO's nuclear forces so that they can use tactical nuclear weapons.

It is also proposed to equip the Polish armed forces with deep-strike weapons - JASSM cruise missiles (including extended range) and NSM shore-based missiles, which can also be fired at coastal targets. At the same time, the Russian Kaliningrad region is directly named as a possible target. And, as we saw above, these plans are already being implemented.

However, the notorious “Russian threat” to Poland is virtual - calm reigns on the border of the two countries in the Kaliningrad region, on the Russian side you can’t hear the clanging of the tracks of tank armadas, despite the fact that on the Polish side three brigades of the Polish army are stationed in close proximity to the border, to which early next year an American battalion will be added (I will talk about it in more detail in one of the next articles in this series).

Trade, cultural exchange, tourism and contacts between people on both sides of the border are hampered by Poland itself, which, under flimsy pretexts, on July 4, 2016, suspended small border traffic between the Kaliningrad region and neighboring Polish voivodeships, which had been successfully carried out since July 2012.

And if you don’t believe in fairy tales about the “natural aggressiveness of Russians,” then hardly anyone in Poland can explain why Russia needs to attack this country. Purely real, however, is the money that the companies of the military-industrial complex receive from stirring up tension and war hysteria.

First of all, the American one - the largest contracts for the rearmament of the Polish army will go to the largest military contractor in the United States and the whole world, Lockheed Martin, and other American companies will not lose out either.

It is no coincidence that the aforementioned Atlantic Council report ultimately boils down to a long list of things that Poland urgently needs to buy, primarily from the United States. The Polish military industry will also receive its share, but it is unlikely to be more than the amounts that Poland could receive from the development of mutually beneficial relations with the Russian Federation.

Yuri Zverev, head. Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Spatial Development IKBFU I. Kant

When is a weapons permit not required in Poland?

This list of cases when a weapons license is not required is also important because using the reverse method you can calculate the types of weapons for which a permit is required. You can store/use weapons without permission (established art.11 ustawy z dnia 21 maja 1999 r. o broni i amunicji):

• If we are talking about museum collections that are subject to special regulations.
• If the use is at an official, fully licensed shooting range, for sport, training or recreational purposes (it is understood that in such cases visitors/clients/apprentices do not need to have a permit).
• To signal for help or signal the start of a sporting event, when using a weapon specifically designed for this purpose.
• Disposal of weapons by legal entities, in accordance with separate regulations and only on condition that this procedure is related to their business.
• Storage of weapons that do not have functional characteristics, with confirmation of this fact by the appropriate document.
• Hand-held stun guns or other devices designed to deliver electric shock, but with an average current strength not exceeding 10 mA.
• Airguns.
• Separate-loading weapons manufactured before 1885 or copies thereof.
• Signal firearms with a caliber of no more than 6 mm.

Accordingly, permission must be obtained for everything else that is permissible for private ownership.

The most secret weapon of the Second Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

One of the most popular areas of development of anti-tank defense systems in the interwar period was the development of anti-tank rifles. When creating such weapons, designers used different approaches. One of them involved the development of “cannon” caliber models (20 and even 24 mm) with a relatively heavy bullet and low initial velocity. Another approach was to maximize the muzzle velocity of a normal 6-8mm "rifle" caliber bullet. One of the products of the second concept was the Polish anti-tank rifle wz. 35.

Among the engineers who developed the first small-caliber anti-tank rifles (PTR), the German Hermann Gerlich is famous. His 6.5 mm rifle, created in the late 20s, provided an initial bullet speed of 1400 m/s (versus 900 m/s for a regular Mauser). This increase in speed gave a phenomenal result: when it hit a 12-mm armor plate, a bullet with a lead core made a hole in it with a diameter of about 15 mm (a bullet from a conventional rifle left only a dent 2 mm deep). It is interesting that Gerlich’s bullet, in fact, did not penetrate the armor: it instantly evaporated upon impact, but knocked out a “plug” from the armor, capable of ricocheting and breaking into fragments inside the tank or armored vehicle. This phenomenon is called the “Gerlich effect.”

Gerlich's works were not a secret and were widely discussed in the pages of the specialized press. In Poland, they were noticed by Lieutenant Colonel Tadeusz Felsztyn from the Central Rifle School in Toruń, where in 1929 a purchased copy of the Gerlich rifle was tested. In subsequent years, Felshtyn substantiated the feasibility of developing a small-caliber anti-tank rifle and managed to interest both the military and entrepreneurs. The gunpowder factory in Pionki invested 10,000 zlotys of its own funds in creating a suitable nitrocellulose gunpowder (its cylindrical grains had three channels inside to increase the combustion area). The ammunition factory in Skarzysko has developed a cartridge case that can withstand 50% more pressure than a conventional rifle. But the main role in the development of new weapons was played by the designers of the Institute of Armament Research and the Rifle Factory in Warsaw.

Design

The development of the gun was entrusted to an employee of the technical bureau of the Institute of Armament Research, Józef Maroszek (a graduate of the Faculty of Mechanics of the Warsaw University of Technology). Despite his youth, Maroshek has already established himself as a talented design engineer. Felshtyn spoke of him this way: “The young engineer, a talented designer, was filled with youthful enthusiasm, some mysterious instinct and ingenuity.”

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Józef Maroszek, photo from the early 30s. armiakrajowa.org.pl

The weapon created by Maroshek was distinguished by its simplicity of design and relatively low weight. The gun fired 7.92 x 86 mm cartridges with conventional SC bullets. At a distance of 100 m at an impact angle of 30°, the bullet made a hole with a diameter of 20 mm in a 20 mm armor plate. However, already the first tests revealed a serious problem - lightning-fast wear of the barrel, which became completely unusable after several dozen shots. It took several years to eliminate this shortcoming. By 1935, the survivability of the barrel was increased to 250-300 shots - taking into account the purpose of the weapon, this figure was considered quite acceptable. This was achieved by increasing the barrel length from 1000 to 1200 mm, as well as changing the design of the bullet, which received a longer cylindrical part (this contributed to more stable movement of the bullet in the barrel bore and reduced its wear). The cartridge was completely redesigned, increasing the length of the sleeve; the new ammunition was designated 7.92 x 107 mm DS. The cartridge weighed 61.51 g, the mass of the bullet was 12.78 g. The modified PTRs successfully passed field tests - at a distance of 300 m the bullet knocked out a “plug” with a diameter of 15 mm in 20 mm armor.

A regular Mauser cartridge (bottom) and a DS cartridge. warrelics.eu

The model was adopted by the Polish Army under the designation Karabin wz. 35 — “rifle mod. 35" (according to Polish terminology, the rifle is called karabin, and what is called “carbine” in Russian is called karabinek by the Poles). There was no hint of the anti-tank purpose of the weapon in the name - the Polish command feared that information about the new anti-tank rifle would get to potential opponents, and they would strengthen the armor of their tanks.

General view of PTR wz. 35.2mps.org

Shotgun wz. 35 - magazine, with manual reloading after each shot. The bolt is longitudinally sliding, rotating, and is locked onto three symmetrically located lugs. The barrel is removable and is threaded to the chamber. The barrel is replaced after 200-300 shots; it is possible only in a gun workshop and requires the use of special tools. The barrel has six right-hand rifling and is equipped with a powerful muzzle brake that absorbs 65% of recoil energy, as well as a forward-folding biped. The magazine is detachable, box-shaped, with a capacity of 4 rounds; it is secured in the socket with two spring latches - front and rear (replacing the magazine requires two hands). Sights are open type, calibrated for a distance of 300 m. The stock and butt are monoblock, made of walnut. On top of the barrel there is a short wooden pad to protect the shooter's hands. To carry the weapon there is a leather belt attached to two swivels.

Production and supplies to troops

Five pre-production copies of the PTR were manufactured at the turn of 1935 and 1936, and production of serial rifles began a year later at the Rifle Factory in Warsaw, where a secret “Ur” workshop was organized. This name was invented by Colonel Tadeusz Pelczynski, head of the intelligence department of the General Staff of the Polish Army - in his opinion, it created the impression that the workshop was producing weapons for Uruguay. Modern Polish researchers believe that the trunks were supplied by some other company, but which one is unknown. This fact eloquently demonstrates the secrecy that surrounded the production of new anti-tank rifles. At the Ammunition Factory in Skarzysko, measures were also taken to ensure secrecy - bullets and cartridges were produced in general workshops, but the loading of cartridges was carried out in a special workshop with limited access.

The volume of orders amounted to 7,610 units; by October 1938, 2,000 PTRs had passed military acceptance. The total volume of the issue is estimated by Polish researchers at 3500-3600 copies. This quantity was generally sufficient for a peacetime army, but there was no mobilization reserve. Considering that some of the weapons inevitably ended up in warehouses, many units of the Polish Army did not have time to receive anti-tank rifles by the September 1939 campaign.

In the Polish Army unit, anti-tank guns were supplied in sealed wooden boxes with the inscription “Measuring equipment” and numbers from 1 to 3. Box No. 1 (dimensions 178 x 27 x 18.3 cm) contained the anti-tank gun itself and instructions, box No. 2 contained three spare barrels, in box No. 3 - the tools necessary to replace the barrel, as well as spare parts. The ammunition was supplied in boxes marked “21 K Export”. Each box contained two hermetically sealed zinc with 12 cardboard packs of 12 rounds each - that is, there were a total of 288 rounds in the box. The anti-tank crew's wearable ammunition consisted of 24 rounds (6 magazines), carried in two canvas pouches from the Browning wz light machine gun. 28.

Cardboard pack with 12 DS cartridges. warrelics.eu

The ideologist of the creation of new weapons, Lieutenant Colonel Felshtyn (who retired by the end of the 30s), believed that anti-tank rifles should be introduced into every department. The command decided otherwise: three guns were allocated to the infantry company (one per platoon), two more to the regimental reconnaissance company (one each to the bicycle and horse platoons). Thus, the infantry regiment had 29 anti-tank rifles, the cavalry regiment had 13 (three per squadron, one more in the bicycle platoon).

Carrying a carbine arr. 35" when operating on foot. warrelics.eu

It was possible to open boxes with “measuring equipment” only with the permission of the Minister of Military Affairs. The corresponding order was sent to the troops on July 15, 1939. In accordance with it, it was prescribed that a limited number of military personnel should be familiarized with the new weapon: three riflemen from each infantry company and cavalry squadron, one gunsmith, as well as commanders of companies/squadrons, battalions and regiments. Familiarization consisted of conducting one or two shooting sessions at a target at a distance of 200 m with a consumption of no more than six rounds per company/squadron. After this, it was ordered to pack the gun back into the box, sealing it, collect the spent cartridges in a box with cartridges and also seal it. Obviously, such “familiarization” allowed the shooters to get only the most general idea of ​​the weapon with which they had to go into battle.

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Method of transportation of “carbine arr. 35" cavalryman, side view. warrelics.eu

Method of transportation of “carbine arr. 35" cavalryman, rear view. warrelics.eu

Transportation of two “carbines arr. 35" on a horse pack. warrelics.eu

Combat use

In the works we reviewed, there is no mention of any single order for the issuance of PTR wz. 35 to units in connection with mobilization. Polish researchers believe that such decisions were made independently by the commanders of divisions, brigades or even regiments. The most proactive of them gave appropriate instructions on August 31, 1939, others - already in the first days of the war. Information on the combat use of anti-tank rifles is very meager, however, it can be argued that in battles with German light tanks and armored vehicles, “carbines mod. 35" showed quite high efficiency. One of the soldiers of the 67th tank battalion of the 3rd light division of the Wehrmacht wrote:

“We have been fighting for two hours […] We see anti-tank guns, the fire of which is making holes in our armor. We tirelessly press the triggers of our machine guns and see the falling bodies of people and horses in the fiery fans of tracer bullets. There is only one law: either you, or you. Our caterpillars are grinding up the dead and the living, who held out to the last. Despite this, Polish artillery and anti-tank defenses fire with constant fury. Fountains of earth rise between the tanks. The sparks of bullets hitting the armor often sparkle..."

The effectiveness of using anti-tank rifles in the September campaign directly depended on the strong-willed qualities of commanders and soldiers. Where units did not panic, “carbines mod. 35" were used until the end of hostilities (or until the ammunition supply was exhausted). Although no instructions on the tactics of using anti-tank rifles were given to the troops (due to the same notorious secrecy), proactive commanders literally found ways to use them on the fly.

The use of PTR wz was noted. 35 as part of mixed anti-tank lines together with 37-mm Bofors wz. 36 - in such cases, anti-tank rifles were entrusted with the task of “finishing” tanks that broke through artillery fire. There are frequent references to the use of anti-tank rifles from ambushes - shooting was carried out on the side of enemy armored vehicles. In tank-dangerous directions, anti-tank riflemen were sometimes pushed forward of the main line of defense, covering them with machine-gun fire. The commander of the 21st Infantry Regiment, Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Sosabovsky, wrote about the battle on September 3 for the village of Hrostovo Wielkie:

“Our anti-tank weapons are perfect - both cannons and anti-tank rifles […] The shooters gained confidence in anti-tank rifles when they were convinced that their fire could immobilize a tank from a distance of about 100 m.”

Practice has shown that the superficial nature of familiarization with anti-tank rifles has not become a serious obstacle to their successful use: firstly, “the carbine arr. 35" turned out to be easy to use, and secondly, the commanders allocated their best shooters for these guns, who grasped everything on the fly. A much more serious problem was the allocation of only one shooter for the PTR instead of a crew of at least two people - this led to the almost inevitable loss of the gun in the event of the death of a fighter. Another disadvantage was the lack of external signs of hitting the target - the bullets of the “carbine mod. 35" were not tracers.

Despite its effectiveness against light armored vehicles, the wz. 35 was by no means a “miracle weapon” capable of saving Poland from defeat. Could these guns be used more effectively? Probably yes, but they could not withstand the concentrated attacks of the Wehrmacht's mobile formations.

PTR wz. 35 among other Polish weapons captured by the Wehrmacht. Mackiewicz M. Karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35 // Polygon. – 2014. – No. 5

A significant number of anti-tank guns wz. 35 (at least 900 units) became German trophies. The weapon was adopted by the Wehrmacht under the designation PzB 35(p) and was used during the Blitzkrieg in the West in 1940. The Germans reloaded the Polish cartridges with bullets from the P318 cartridge with a tungsten carbide core (such ammunition was used in the German PzB 38 and PzB 39 anti-tank guns). In 1941, a cartridge appeared with a different primer and powder charge from the P318 - the initial speed increased from 1270 to 1295 m/s, but barrel wear accelerated. As a result, having a sufficient number of PzB 39 rifles, the Wehrmacht abandoned the further use of PzB 35(r), transferring 630 of these anti-tank rifles to Italy. Under the designation Fucile controcarro 35(P), they were used in North Africa, on the Eastern Front, and also in Italy itself.

American soldiers look with interest at the trophy - Fucile controcarro 35(P). Italy, 1943. warthunder.com

A small number of PTR wz. 35 in September 1939 came to Hungary along with the retreating Polish troops, and in March of the following year the Hungarian government sold 30 guns to Finland. In the Finnish army, these anti-tank guns were designated 8 mm pst kiv/38. In 1941, they were used in battles against the Red Army, but were soon withdrawn from the troops and sent to storage due to a lack of ammunition and spare parts. After 1956, about a dozen of these guns were sold to collectors in the United States.

Finnish soldiers with anti-tank rifle 8 mm pst kiv/38.
sa-kuva.fi Tactical and technical characteristics of the wz anti-tank rifle. 35

Literature:

1. Konstankiewicz A. Broń strzelecka i sprzęt artyleryjski formacji polskich i Wojska Polskiego w latach 1914-1939. – Lublin, 2003
2. Mackiewicz M. Karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35 // Polygon. – 2014. – No. 5
3. Nowakowski T. Karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35 // Nowa technika wojskowa. – 1995. – No. 6
4. Satora K. Polski karabin przeciwpancerny wz. 35 (UR) // Wojskowy Przegląd Historyczny. – 1996. – No. 2
5. Słupczyński W. Jeszcze trochę o karabinie przeciwpancernym “Ur” // Poligon. – 2015. – No. 1
6. ZasiecznyA. Broń Wojska Polskiego 1939-1945. – Warsaw, 2010

Can foreigners receive Pozwolenie na broń?

They can, but... not all. In addition to certain health conditions, etc., which we will talk about later, there is one directly related to foreigners.

Foreigners from non-EU countries can obtain a weapons permit in Poland, provided they have permanent residence status (stale residence cards and long-term EU resident cards).

Accordingly, persons staying in the Republic of Poland on other grounds (visas, visa-free regime, temporary residence cards, including while waiting to receive a card) should not count on permission to make a reservation.

Exceptions include cases of acquiring weapons for the purpose of exporting abroad. However, these are special cases that we will briefly touch on at the end of this article.

Expert opinion

Dmitry Konstantinovich

Leading expert at Polish Consultant

Another special case is diplomatic workers. There are also special rules for this category of foreigners (Art. 39 of the Law of May 21, 1999 “On Weapons and Ammunition”), however, diplomats, as a rule, have their own legal services, ready to explain all the details of any law, and among our readers such There are not many people, to put it mildly. Therefore, we will outline this aspect, but we will not return to it anymore, as it is of little interest to most readers.

Polish army today

Today, the total number of Polish armed forces is about 120 thousand people (without reserve), including the Ground Forces of 68 thousand people. Poland's ground forces include an armored cavalry and two mechanized divisions, which include an armored, three armored cavalry, five mechanized and one coastal defense brigade. In addition, there are separate aviation, airborne, Podhale Riflemen, air cavalry brigades and logistics support units.

The Polish tank fleet is already the fourth largest in NATO (after the USA, Turkey and Greece) in terms of the number of vehicles (892). However, it includes only third generation tanks: the German Leopard-2A4, our own RT-91 (created on the basis of the T-72), T-72. In terms of the number of modern tanks, Poland is ahead of Germany (which has less than 700 Leopard-2s left), as well as Great Britain, France and Italy combined.

These moments are very revealing.

№ 1. The tank is the actor and basis of any classic military operation. And the attitude towards tank weapons is an indicator of what the armed forces of a given state are preparing for.

Moreover, Poland is now the only European country developing a new tank - the PL-01 Anders. According to the plans of the Ministry of Defense, it is planned to produce a thousand units (the financial component is not yet obvious). Purchases will also continue - 110 Leopard-2s will be purchased in Germany in the near future. Such “tank breakthroughs” of the Polish army raise many questions.

The Polish army has more than a thousand artillery systems, mostly, of course, Soviet ones, which are gradually being decommissioned. Self-propelled guns "Crab" of their own production are coming into service, albeit at an extremely low rate (there are currently 8, a total of 24 should be built), and part of the BM-21 "Grad" MLRS are being converted into WR-40 "Langousta", but their number will not exceed 75. But there is a nuance here - artillery systems are easily and inexpensively modernized by using more modern shells and missiles, especially high-precision ones.

Polish Air Force: 25 thousand people. Army aviation includes 90 combat helicopters - 27 Mi-24, 20 Mi-2URP, 43 W-3W. There are big problems with this type of troops - in October 2016, Poland practically provoked an international scandal by unexpectedly canceling a multibillion-dollar deal with the French company Airbus. In April 2015, Warsaw agreed with the aircraft manufacturing giant to purchase 50 multi-purpose helicopters for a total cost of $3.5 billion. However, the new government, formed following the parliamentary elections in October of the same year, decided to abandon the deal and give the contract to a company that would assemble helicopters in Poland (and there are two such factories).

MiG-29 of the Polish Air Force.

Interestingly, the Polish Air Force is the only one in the world armed with both the MiG-29 and the F-16. Moreover, already in the post-Soviet period, the Poles bought up almost all German and Czech MiG-29s. Now they have 32 aircraft of this type. On the other hand, in 2003–2004 the Poles received 48 F-16s specially built for them in the United States. Therefore, today Polish F-16s are almost the newest aircraft of this type in the world (except for a few Egyptian and Turkish ones), in particular, they are incomparably newer than similar aircraft of the US Air Force itself. There are only 26 Su-22M attack aircraft left, they are quickly beginning to be written off, and they are planning to replace them with combat UAVs.

The Polish naval forces include 8 thousand military personnel, 5 diesel-electric submarines, 2 guided missile frigates, 1 corvette, 1 headquarters ship, 2 reconnaissance ships, 5 missile ships, 8 landing ships and 20 mine-sweeping ships and vessels. The surface fleet includes two former American Oliver Perry-class frigates, the Kazhub corvette, three Orkan-class missile boats built in the former GDR (in addition, four Soviet missile boats have been decommissioned and are in storage), 19 minesweepers and 5 medium landing craft ships of the Lublin type. Only frigates are armed with anti-ship missiles: the frigates have the American Harpoon, and the Orkans have the Swedish RBS-15 (admittedly, an obsolete type and a short range).

Ambitious projects to build a series of new missile corvettes were canceled due to budgetary troubles (most likely, only one corvette will be built, and without missiles, in the patrol ship version). For this reason, the prospects for the Polish fleet are now not visible at all at the current rate of financing - all of its ships were built before 1995 (the Cobbens were generally built in the 60s), this is the oldest fleet in the Baltic. Apart from the Orkans, all of its ships and boats should be decommissioned in the coming years, and no replacement is yet in sight.

Poland's ground-based air defense is perhaps the strongest among the new NATO member countries and includes one battery of the American Patriot air defense system, one regiment each of the Soviet S-200 and Krug air defense systems, 13 divisions of the Soviet S-125 air defense system (the oldest, but is constantly being modernized, especially missiles). Poland is also participating in the program to create a European missile defense system. It is planned that elements of this system (interceptor missiles) will be deployed at the Redzikovo base by 2022.

Conditions for issuing a weapons license in Poland

In addition to permanent residence in Poland, as one of the mandatory conditions for obtaining a weapons license, there are several more, without which this document cannot be issued:

1. Age - at least 21 years old (exceptions for athletes - at the request of schools or educational institutions, such persons may be granted permission after 18 years of age).
2. The presence of physical and psychological ability to use weapons, which is confirmed by relevant certificates from certified doctors and psychologists.
3. Absence of alcohol dependence and/or dependence on other psychoactive (psychoaktywnych) substances.
4. No criminal record (court decisions) for criminal offenses.
5. The applicant does not pose a danger to himself, others, or public safety.

It is also necessary to explain in a motivated manner why weapons are needed . This is a fairly important point and, if, for example, we are talking about sports, then the reasons are obvious and it is not difficult to prove them. But if, for example, we are talking about personal safety, then the threat to it must be thoroughly confirmed. We will return to this issue later when we talk about documents.

Expert opinion

Dmitry Konstantinovich

Leading expert at Polish Consultant

There are no separately specified requirements for knowledge of the Polish language. At the same time, some of the necessary actions, for example, passing psychological tests or passing exams, are difficult to carry out without sufficient knowledge of Polish. So language knowledge can be considered, even if not specified by law, but an extremely desirable condition for obtaining a weapons permit.

Who can't get permission?

A weapons license will definitely be denied if at least one of the above conditions is not met (no permanent residence status, a criminal record, no medical and/or psychological report or it is negative, etc.). However, there are cases when an already issued license may be revoked.

When can a gun license be revoked?

The permit will be canceled if at least one of the necessary (above) conditions is violated during its operation. For example, a person will commit a crime. But besides this, there are grounds for terminating a license:

• Violation of missing weapons notification rules.
• There was a recorded case where a person was carrying a weapon while under the influence of alcohol, drugs or psychotropic intoxication.
• Factors that previously allowed gun ownership in Poland have disappeared (for example, a foreigner was deprived of permanent residence status).
• Failure to notify of a change of permanent residence within 14 days.
• The rules for registering purchased weapons were violated (registration will be discussed in more detail later).
• Storage and/or transportation standards have been violated.
• Using weapons for purposes other than their intended purpose (for example, sporting weapons outside special facilities or places equipped for this purpose).
• Transfer of weapons to persons without a license.

Obviously, the list contains fairly general grounds, which means that a specific case will be dealt with based on the available nuances.

A clear NATO course

This was determined before, during and after the joint operational-strategic exercises of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation in September of this year - “Zapad-2017”. In the information hysteria, in which Polish politicians actively participated, catching the missing black cat in a dark room. Under the guise of this hysteria, quite significant changes took place in the military-political balance of NATO’s eastern flank.

It so happened that a full rotation of the US 2nd Armored Brigade, located in Poland in 2016, did not happen - the personnel left, but the equipment remained. But then a new 3rd armored brigade of the American armed forces appeared. The Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus received a full-fledged American tank division at their borders.

American military in Poland.

In addition to the beloved American army, there is also its own Polish army. Currently, the Polish armed forces are reorganized in accordance with NATO standards. From January 1, 2010, the Polish army completely switched to conscription only by contract (if you do not take into account the territorial reserve).

In general, immediately after 1989, the rapid development of military ties between Poland and Western states began. On November 22, 1990, the Polish contingent was formed as part of the international forces in the Persian Gulf, which took part in the operation in 1991. In 1994, Poland began cooperation with the military-political bloc of NATO under the Partnership for Peace program, and on March 12, 1999, it joined NATO, and in 1999, Polish units were sent as part of the KFOR forces to Kosovo, Metohija, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

From March 2002 until June 2014, Poland took part in the war in Afghanistan as part of the Western coalition: the losses of the Polish contingent amounted to 43 military personnel killed and at least 157 wounded. Poland took part in the invasion of Iraq in the spring of 2003 and the war that followed. Here the losses of the Polish contingent amounted to 23 dead and 35 wounded.

In the second half of 2010, another controversial proposal of the Minister of Defense A. Macherevich was developed - a reserve component (Narodowe Siły Rezerwowe) was created within the armed forces, and the formation of territorial defense troops (reserve) is currently underway. The Polish territorial defense forces should include 53 thousand people, who are directly subordinate to the Ministry of Defense. They will be on standby in case of an emergency.

On September 19, 2014, a joint Polish-Lithuanian-Ukrainian brigade “LITPOLUKRBRIG” was created with a control center in Lublin, which still has a formal political character.

With the assistance of the United States and NATO, the training and retraining of military personnel of the Polish armed forces is carried out. Under the Counterterrorism Fellowship Program alone, the US Department of Defense spent $100,000 on this country.

How much does a reservation permit cost?

The cost of the required fees depends on the type of permit requested and other parameters. We list all possible fees, understanding that in a particular situation it is necessary to pay only the part that meets the conditions:

• For a decision to keep any type of firearm for an individual - 242 zlotys.
• The same, but for a legal entity (or an organizational unit without legal personality) - PLN 1,193.
• For a certificate (certificate) about the purchase of a weapon - 17 zlotys (we will explain later what kind of mandatory document this is).
• For replacing a firearms owner's identification card or firearms certificate - 17 zlotys.
• For issuing a certificate that a firearm is permanently deprived of its functional properties - 82 zlotys.
• European firearms card - 105 zlotys.
• Other types of permits (for example, permission to carry firearms when performing work related to weapons) - 10 zlotys.

Looking ahead a little, let's say that in addition to documents and conditions, to obtain a weapons permit in Poland you must pass an exam (theory and practice). Exam fee:

• for weapons for personal protection - 500 zlotys;
• for sporting weapons - 800 zlotys;
• for weapons for collecting - 1150 zlotys;
• for commemorative weapons - 550 zlotys;
• for weapons for educational purposes - 1000 zlotys, but if we are talking about self-defense teachers, then 100 zlotys;
• another - 600 zlotys.

Payments for the fee must be made before submitting the application, and the payment receipt is one of the required documents in the package.

In addition to these, there may be additional costs. First of all, to undergo a medical examination and obtain a psychological report. There may be transportation costs, the cost of producing other documents, their copies, participation in the necessary organizations, associations, etc. These prices are very different in different regions - you need to check them locally.

Where and how to buy a pistol or shotgun in Poland?

First of all, let us remind you that obtaining permission is primary , that is, it must first be obtained, and only then can we talk about purchasing weapons. In general, the scheme is as follows:

1. An application and other documents are submitted. If admitted:
2. Exams are being taken. If the result is successful:
3. A decision is made to issue a permit. If it goes well:
4. It is expected to come into force. This requires 14 days from the date of the decision, and then:
5. You receive a certificate (certificate) for the purchase of weapons.

The final paragraph refers to a document confirming the availability of a weapons license. It specifies the validity periods, clearances, purposes and specific types of weapons available to the person. With this document you can purchase weapons or ammunition, but only within the designated type.

Purchases can be made in special stores. An individual with a permit can also sell weapons, i.e. We will allow the circulation of registered weapons, and their owners may well carry out purchase and sale transactions. The fact of the transaction is fixed by agreement, after which the parties are obliged to inform the authorized bodies about changes in the registration data of a particular weapon (registration will be discussed in detail later).

Army of modern Poland

Poland has every chance to become a leader in European military development

By the time the Department of Internal Affairs was dissolved, the Polish People's Republic army was second in terms of combat potential after the Soviet one. The Polish Army was armed with 2,850 tanks, 2,377 armored fighting vehicles, 2,300 artillery systems, and 551 combat aircraft.

In 1999, Poland, together with the Czech Republic and Hungary, entered the first wave of NATO expansion and since then has been subject to all the trends that have taken hold of this bloc: a significant reduction in the armed forces, a transition from conscription to a mercenary principle of recruitment with a characteristic change in motivation from patriotic to financial. However, having a common border with Russia and Belarus and suffering from severe historical Russophobia,

Poland, unlike the vast majority of European countries of the alliance, has retained elements of defense consciousness. Thanks to this, the Polish Army is gradually becoming one of the strongest NATO armies after the USA and Turkey (excluding the nuclear potentials of Great Britain and France).

The tank fleet is the fourth in NATO (after the USA, Turkey and Greece), while all the equipment is third generation: 247 German Leopard-2 (142 A4, 105 A5), 232 own RT-91, 159 Soviet T-72M (more 346 in storage). We are developing our own PL-01 Anders tank.

There are up to 497 BRDM-2, 38 BWR-1 (BRM-1), up to 1215 BWP-1 (BMP-1), up to 352 MTLB, at least 438 AMV Wolverine armored personnel carriers (and at least 207 auxiliary vehicles based on it ), 40 American Cougar armored vehicles and 30 MaxPro. The Wolverine armored personnel carriers are produced in Poland under a Finnish license; they are gradually replacing the decommissioned BWP-1. Infantry fighting vehicles were also produced here, but under Soviet license.

Self-propelled artillery includes 8 self-propelled guns "Crab" of own production (155 mm), 333 Soviet self-propelled guns 2S1 (122 mm), 111 Czech wheeled self-propelled guns "Dana" (152 mm). Soviet self-propelled guns are being withdrawn from the ground forces, they are being replaced by "Crabs", but so far only 24 of them are expected to be built. The towed artillery is represented by 24 Soviet D-44 (85 mm) guns, which will be decommissioned in the near future. Mortars - 268 LM-60, 18 2B9M, 99 M98, 146 M-43 and 15 2S12 (LM-60 and M98 are of our own production, the rest are Soviet). MLRS – 135 Soviet BM-21, 30 Czech RM-70, 75 own WR-40 “Langust”. BM-21s are partially decommissioned and partially converted into WR-40s. ATGM: 282 Israeli Spike-LR (including 18 self-propelled on the Hummer), 132 Soviet Malyutka, 77 Fagot, 18 self-propelled Konkurs (on the BRDM).

Polish Beryl assault rifle based on AK

Military air defense consists of 400 own MANPADS "Grom" and a rich Soviet heritage: 64 Soviet air defense systems "Osa-AK", 60 "Strela-10", 91 MANPADS "Strela-2", from 28 to 87 ZSU-23-4 "Shilka" , 404 ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns.

Army aviation includes 80 combat helicopters: 27 Mi-24, 20 Mi-2URP, 2 Mi-2URN, 31 W-3W. The Mi-2 and the Polish W-3 created on their basis can be considered combat only conditionally, therefore, in fact, only the Mi-24 are such. There are also up to 72 multi-purpose and transport helicopters: 13 W-3, 4 Mi-17, 27 Mi-8, 28–29 Mi-2.

The Polish Air Force organizationally includes the 1st (headquarters - in Świdwin, in service - all MiG-29 and Su-22) and 2nd (Poznan, all F-16) tactical, 3rd transport (Powidz), 4th training (Demblin) air wing, 3rd air defense (Sochaczew) and 3rd radio technical (Wroclaw) brigade.

Combat aircraft: 48 F-16, 32 MiG-29, 26 Su-22M4 and 6 Su-22UM3. F-16s were built in the USA in 2003–2004 specifically for the Polish Air Force. Su-22s are being written off and are expected to be replaced by combat UAVs.

Transport aircraft: 5 American C-130E, 2 ERJ175, 16 Spanish C295M, 23 own M-28. Another 5–6 Yak-40 and 1 Tu-154 are in storage.

The military transport S295M is a successful vehicle - in addition to the Polish Air Force, it has already been purchased by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Own-produced training aircraft: 17 PZL-130, 43 TS-11.

Polish Orlik

There are also 5 Austrian DA-20s. Multi-purpose and transport helicopters: 7 Mi-17, 10 Mi-8, 13–15 Mi-2, 24 SW-4, 20 W-3.

Ground-based air defense includes 1 battery of the American Patriot air defense system, 1 regiment of the Soviet S-200 air defense system (12 launchers), 4 regiments of the Kvadrat air defense system (20 batteries, 80 launchers), 19 divisions of the S-125 air defense system (76 launchers).

The Polish Navy has 1 Soviet Project 877 submarine, 4 Norwegian Cobben-class submarines (another training ashore), 2 American Oliver Perry-class frigates, 3 Orkan missile boats (manufactured for Poland in the GDR) and ships of their own construction: 1 corvette ("Kazhub"), 19 minesweepers (3 projects 206FM, 12 "Gardno", 4 "Mamry" type), 5 landing ships ("Lublin" type).

PL Cobben

The lead minesweeper of Project 258 is undergoing testing, which, however, may remain the only one. In addition, 4 decommissioned Soviet missile boats of Project 1241 are in storage. All ships are more than 20 years old (Cobben-class submarines are about 50 years old) and (except for Orkan-class missile boats) should be decommissioned in the coming years.

Naval aviation includes 10 self-built basic patrol aircraft M-28, 2 transport An-28TD and 2 M-28TD, 28 anti-submarine, transport and rescue helicopters (4 American SH-2G, 10 Soviet Mi-14PL, 1 Mi-17, 1 Mi-8, 4 Mi-2, 8 of our W-3).

There are no foreign troops on Polish territory on a permanent basis yet, but several US Air Force aircraft with the Italian Aviano are regularly based at its air base.

Poland has retained a fairly powerful defense industry (although the number of enterprises has decreased from 160 to 90 since the end of the Cold War), which, however, produces products almost exclusively under foreign licenses or, at best, based on foreign models (for example, the PT-91 tank based on T-72, W-3 helicopter based on the Mi-2, M-28 aircraft based on the An-28, Grom MANPADS based on the Igla). Now the industry is moving to licensed production of Western equipment, in particular the aforementioned Wolverine armored personnel carriers, copies of Finnish AMVs. The production of American UH-60 multi-purpose helicopters has been mastered, but they are only exported.

Currently, Poland is the only European NATO country (except for Greece and Turkey, which are closed to each other) that shows interest in developing its own armed forces. Therefore, despite budget restrictions that significantly slow down rearmament plans, especially for the Navy, it has every chance of becoming a leader in military development in the near future. The only incentive for this is Russophobia. At the same time, Poland understands better than anyone what a soap bubble the current NATO is, and is paying increasing attention to ensuring security on its own.

Poland could theoretically become a major supplier of weapons to the Ukrainian Armed Forces; a lot has already been said and written about this. However, it is not very clear what the point of this is. On a significant scale, from its own armed forces, Warsaw can supply Kyiv with T-72, BMP-1, 2S1 self-propelled guns, and BM-21 MLRS. However, Ukraine itself still has more than enough of this scrap metal, and besides, it does not use T-72s in battle, making do with huge reserves of T-64s. Kyiv simply does not have the money to buy something more modern (in Poland or somewhere else). In addition, although at the official level Warsaw today is the main advocate of independence, the dislike for Ukraine here is perhaps even stronger than for Russia, and with much greater justification.

—————-

Arkadiusz Mikolajczyk (brigade commander): From the perspective of today, we can say that joining the Alliance forced us to change our mentality, the perception of service in the army and provided the opportunity for development. From this point of view, we have made a huge step forward.

On the other hand, all this led to the fact that our superiors placed emphasis on the development of the army, on the introduction of new technologies, and using the example of our brigade, we can state the effects of 15 years of work.

Thanks to Russia, the Polish military budget is only growing.

It’s interesting, but if you unite the armies of Belarus and Poland, then……….

How can a foreigner obtain a firearms permit in Poland?

Taking into account everything said above, we will consolidate the actions necessary for a foreigner to obtain Pozwolenie na broń palną in Poland in the form of step-by-step instructions.

Step 1. Determining the possibility and need to receive Pozwolenie

The first thing to do is determine whether you need a permit. Check the list of weapons available without a license (see above) and, if permission is needed, continue to follow the instructions.

Next, check the list of necessary requirements - permanent residence, no criminal record, addiction, etc. Assess your chance of passing the medical examination. If there are no contraindications, proceed to the next step.

Step 2. Collection of necessary documents

Next, general lists of necessary documentation will be presented, including the conclusions of a doctor and a psychologist. But since processing these certificates may take longer, it is recommended to start with them.

For the rest, we will divide the list into two components: a mandatory list in all cases and lists that correspond to the specific purpose of the planned use of weapons. But let's start with a statement.

Application for a weapons permit

In general, the application forms have a lot in common. It indicates to whom the application is being submitted, from whom, for what weapon and for what purpose. Sometimes the police (the voivodeship chief of police is responsible for the permit) can provide a general template for any case, but we recommend using forms specially prepared for you for:

• personal protection;
• hunting;
• sports;
• training;
• historical reconstruction;
• collecting;
• storing commemorative weapons;
• other cases.

Why is this more convenient? Firstly, the forms already indicate the permissible types of weapons for each case; all that remains is to mark them, and it will not be possible to enter an inappropriate one. Secondly, at the bottom of each form there is a list of necessary documents (applications) for the specific purpose of obtaining a permit.

Common list of documents for all

Regardless of the purpose of obtaining permission to reserve, you must provide the following documents:

• Statement.
• Medical certificates confirming the physical and psychological ability to possess a weapon.
• 2 photos 3x4 cm.
• Confirmation of payment of required fees.

Regarding fees, you must first clarify the order of payment in a particular voivodeship: whether you need to immediately pay a fee (for example, 242 zlotys for an individual), an exam (for example, 500 zlotys for personal protection) and a certificate for the purchase of weapons (17 zlotys).

Specific lists of documents

In addition to the mandatory list, the following documents must be prepared and provided to confirm specific grounds.

For hunting:

• Certificate of membership in the Polish Hunting Association.
• Certificate of basic hunting license.

For sporting purposes:

• Document on membership in shooting associations.
• Confirmation of existing sports qualifications.
• Licensed by the relevant Polish sports association.

For reenactors:

• Documented participation in associations whose purpose is to organize historical reconstructions.
• A certificate confirming active participation in the activities of this organization.

For collectors:

• A document confirming membership in the collectors association.

For commemorative weapons:

• Confirmation that the owner got the weapon as a result of an award, gift or inheritance.

For study:

• Documented availability of permits specified in separate rules to conduct shooting training.
• Documentary evidence of registered commercial activity in the field of shooting training.

For personal protection:

• Documented ongoing, credible threat to life, health, or property , rated above average.

It’s not for nothing that “personal safety” was listed last. It is for this purpose that newcomers most often try to obtain permission, and it is for this purpose that refusals most often occur.

The point is that it is not enough to declare a threat. It must be documented, indicating its seriousness, reality and permanence. For example, “I’m doing business, and - you never know - I want to have a weapon” will not work as an argument. A certificate from the police or prosecutor’s office stating that the applicant previously received information about a threat to his life or health may be sufficient.

Another important point is that the issue is being dealt with at the voivodeship level, so each region cannot exclude its own additions to the lists.

Step 3. Submitting an application

The package of documents is submitted to the head of the voivodeship police (komendant wojewódzki Policji) at the place of permanent residence of the applicant. The department responsible for issuing booking permits is the Police Administrative Proceedings Office (Wydział Postępowań Administracyjnych).

Expert opinion

Dmitry Konstantinovich

Leading expert at Polish Consultant

Be sure to check the address in advance. Often the Commandant of the voivodeship police is located in a different city than the usual voivodeship office or other authorities.

Delivery methods need to be clarified. Both heavy workload and special measures, such as those introduced due to the coronavirus pandemic, may limit the reception of the population, introduce online pre-registration or establish other visiting rules.

The result of this step should be the Commandant’s decision on admission to the exams.

Step 4. Exams

Exams are a mandatory step. They are conducted by the police, to which the documents have been submitted, for which a selection committee consisting of at least 3 people is created.

Two exams:

1. Theory - tests knowledge of the provisions on the possession and use of firearms.
2. Practice – skills in the practical use of weapons.

Let us remind you that the exams are paid, the costs are given above. General guidelines for conducting examinations are determined by a special Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can view the current one here:

Rozporządzenie-egzamin

Step 5. Consideration of the issue and obtaining a certificate

Based on the results of the exams, the commission makes a decision. Positive approval is approved by the Commandant of the Voivodeship Police. From this moment the countdown begins for 14 days , after which the decision will come into force - the weapons permit will be considered valid.

As mentioned above, all you have to do is purchase a certificate for 17 zlotys confirming the fact that you have a license, and you can purchase weapons.

MSPO 2022: weapons for and for Poland

MSPO 2022: weapons for and for Poland

09 September '18

From September 4 to 7, the 26th international defense industry exhibition MSPO 2022 was held in the Polish city of Kielce. It became the largest in terms of the number of visitors and exhibits in its entire history.

MSPO is the third largest military exhibition in Europe, second only to Paris's Eurosatory

and London
DSEI
. As a year earlier, the exhibition was held under the patronage of Polish President Andrzej Duda. More than 600 companies from 30 countries confirmed their participation in the Polish expo.

Reconnaissance and combat drone RRB 01. The half-ton vehicle is equipped with various types of weapons and can operate at a distance of up to 800 m from the operator. armyrecognition.com

UAV-UTV is a multi-purpose five-seater buggy with an integrated drone (on the roof). armyrecognition.com

WWG is an eight-round grenade launcher with circular ammunition placement. Created as an alternative to anti-personnel mines. armyrecognition.com

Soviet anti-aircraft gun ZU-23-2 with a modernization package from the Polish company WB Group. armyrecognition.com

CTRL + SKY is a system for detecting and neutralizing drones. Allows you to detect small drones at a distance of up to 2 km and intercept their control or “jam” their signal. armyrecognition.com

LANCA 2.0 is an anti-drone system capable of neutralizing drones at a distance of up to 1 km. armyrecognition.com

The AH-64E Apache is one of the key contenders for the purchase of attack helicopters for the Polish army. armyrecognition.com

SPIKE ER2 is a new Israeli multi-purpose missile. armyrecognition.com

TUR VI is a new armored vehicle from the Polish company AMZ. armyrecognition.com

PT-91M2 A2 is another modification of the Polish tank Twardy (T-72). armyrecognition.com

WARMATE 2 is a loitering munition from the Polish company WB Group. armyrecognition.com

AARGM is a new anti-radar missile from Northrop Grumman for the F/A-18, Tornado, EA-18G, F-16, EA-6B, and F-35 aircraft. armyrecognition.com

Torsus is an armored bus for military use. armyrecognition.com

Dog-mounted reconnaissance camera from Apex Vanguard. armyrecognition.com

Mongoose is a Ukrainian armored reconnaissance vehicle created as part of a Polish tender to replace the BRDM-2. defense-blog.com

Scale models of armored vehicles from Ukroboronprom. ukroboronprom.com.ua

PW Inka pistol, created to participate in the tender of the Polish army. milmag.pl

Responsibilities of a person holding a weapon

This point must be taken very seriously, because... Failure to comply with certain requirements may be considered not only an administrative offense, but also a criminal offense. We emphasize that we are talking about actions after purchasing a weapon , and not about obtaining permission.

Within 5 days from the date of purchase, the owner is required to register the weapon with the police. For this purpose, the owner’s passport, documents confirming the fact of purchase (indicating the brand, unique number, caliber), and in cases of special weapons, confirmation of its relation to this category (for example, a deactivation certificate) are provided.

However, the holder of a weapons permit also has responsibilities:

• At least once every 5 years, provide the police with a new certificate of health and psychological fitness.
• Notify the police immediately if a registered weapon is disposed of.
• Not later than within 24 hours, report the loss of weapons to the police and military gendarmerie (Żandarmerii Wojskowej).
• Within 14 days, inform the police if your permanent residence address has changed.

For serious violations of duties, the punishment is a large fine or arrest. We will consider sanctions for lack of permission below.

New weapons systems of the Polish ground forces (2018)

Colonel S. Korchagin

Currently, the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland (RP) is implementing the “Plan for the technical modernization of the armed forces for the period from 2013 to 2022.” Every year, starting from 2016, up to a quarter of the country’s military budget is allocated to technical modernization, most of which is carried out by the national military-industrial complex.

In accordance with this plan, in March 2015, the Armament Inspectorate of the Polish Ministry of Defense announced a tender for the purchase of armored reconnaissance vehicles. As part of this program, in September 2022, at the International Exhibition of Arms and Military Equipment MSPO-2017 (Kelce), the inspectorate entered into a contract for the purchase of 118 Virus-4 reconnaissance vehicles (RM) with a total cost of 25.3 million US dollars (90.712 million zloty). These vehicles are planned to be put into service with reconnaissance and special purpose units in stages: in 2020 (25 units), in 2021 (35) and in 2022 (58).

RM "Virus-4" (4x4 wheel arrangement) is a joint development and "Concept". It is created on the platform of the Mitsubishi L200 commercial vehicle. The body is open, the frame is made of chrome-molybdenum steel, the bottom complies with the first level of mine protection of the NATO standard STANAG 4569. The crew is three people: commander, driver and gunner. The seats are equipped with five-point seat belts, which ensures greater survivability of the crew and troops in the event of a mine explosion or an improvised explosive device.

By 2022, 751 Rosomak armored combat vehicles (AFVs) in various modifications are planned to be supplied to the ground forces (in brackets) (in parentheses is the number of vehicles already in service):

— armored personnel carrier “Rosomak” (basic version) — 307 units (164); - Rosomak infantry fighting vehicle with an uninhabited turret ZSSW-30 - 180 (prototype testing); — technical support vehicle “Rosomak-WRT”-33; — repair and recovery vehicle “Roso-MaK-WPT”-18; - reconnaissance vehicle "Rosomak-Rl" with a turret "Hitfit-ZOR" - 16 (prototype testing); - reconnaissance vehicle "Rosomak-Y2" with a turret "Hitfit-ZOR" - 34 (prototype testing); - reconnaissance vehicle "Rosomak-Rl" with an uninhabited turret ZSSW-30 - (nine, prototype testing); — reconnaissance vehicle “PocoMaK-R2” with an uninhabited turret ZSSW-30 -19 (prototype testing); — 120-mm self-propelled mortar “Rak” with M120K turret mount — 64 (eight); - control vehicle for artillery units AWD - 32 (four); — reconnaissance vehicle AWR-16 (prototype testing); - reconnaissance vehicle "Rosomak-RSK" - 11 (until the end of 2022); - Lovcha command and staff vehicle - three (until the end of 2022); — command and staff vehicle “Rega” — nine units (until the end of 2022).

In accordance with plans for the implementation of the above program, on October 24, 2013, the Armament Inspectorate entered into a contract worth about 453 million US dollars (1.65 billion zlotys) with the company “Voyskovy Zaklady Mechanichny” (Simenovici-Szlaski) for delivery until 2019 -th in SV 307 armored personnel carrier "Rosomak" (basic version). As of January 1, 2022, about 200 units entered service (the trend of annual supply reduction continues).

On April 28, 2016, the Armaments Inspectorate concluded a contract with a total value of 266.12 million US dollars (968.32 million zlotys) with (Staleva Wola) for the purchase of 64 self-propelled mortars "Rak" (M120K) and 32 control vehicles for the national armed forces artillery units (AWD) based on the Rosomak armored personnel carrier.

In accordance with it, it will supply eight self-propelled mortar batteries (each containing eight 120-mm Rak self-propelled mortars and four control vehicles). In 2016, one self-propelled mortar battery entered service with the 17th mechanized brigade (Miedzyrzech) from the 11th infantry division. It is planned to supply the troops with weapons for three batteries of self-propelled mortars in 2022, and for two more in 2019. In the future, the Polish Ministry of Defense plans to additionally order 16 artillery reconnaissance vehicles (AWR) to equip self-propelled mortar batteries, at a rate of two each.

In June 2014, the Armaments Inspectorate entered into a contract with a total value of about 64.2 million US dollars (233.5 million zlotys) with (Simenovici-Shlenski) for the supply from 2016 to 2022 of 33 technical reconnaissance vehicles "Rosomak-WRT" . The first 17 entered service in 2016, nine in 2017, and the remaining seven are scheduled for delivery in 2022.

On October 24, 2014, the Armaments Inspectorate signed a contract with a total value of about 21 million US dollars (75 million zlotys) for the development of the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle. In accordance with it, after the readiness of the demonstration prototype of infantry fighting vehicles, it is expected that the next contract will be concluded with this company to conduct comprehensive tests in 2022.

The Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle is being developed in two versions: floating (combat weight 25 tons) and non-floating (30 tons). In accordance with the plan, the Borsuk infantry fighting vehicle is planned to enter service with the Polish ground forces in 2022.

One of the areas of implementation of the program is to equip the units of the country's power ministries with small arms of 5.56 mm caliber of national production. The Military Technical Academy (Warsaw) and the armory (Radom) have developed two versions of the MSBS-5.56 rifle: a classic one, with a folding stock, and a bullpup made according to the layout scheme.

In the classic configuration, the rifle is equipped with a telescopic butt, which allows you to adjust the height of the cheek and folds on the right side.

The new assault rifle uses gas-operated automatics with a short stroke of the gas piston. The receiver of an assault rifle consists of two parts, which are connected by pins.

The trigger mechanism installed on the rifle allows firing both single shots and in automatic mode. The firing mode switch is located above the pistol grip and is duplicated on both sides. Windows for ejecting spent cartridges are located on both sides of the receiver; if necessary, the direction of ejection of spent cartridges can be changed after incomplete disassembly of the weapon. The cartridges are fed from a magazine compatible with the American M16 rifle.

On the upper part of the receiver, as well as on the forend below and on the sides, there are guides for a universal Picatinny mount, which are designed for mounting various devices on the rifle (laser designators, tactical flashlights, sniper and collimator sights, additional front handles and other auxiliary equipment ).

Currently, the MSBS-5.56 assault rifle (modular small arms system) is being tested in the special forces units “Grom”, “Agat”, “Commandos”, as well as in the special departments of the military gendarmerie “Warsaw” and “Minsk-Mazowiecki”. . In addition, about 40 weapons were transferred for testing to the country's territorial defense units.

Thus, the military and political leadership of the Republic of Poland is consistently implementing a program to modernize the national armed forces with the aim of bringing them to NATO standards. In accordance with the plan for the technical modernization of the country’s Armed Forces for the period until 2022, new Virus-4 armored reconnaissance vehicles should enter service with reconnaissance and special purpose units. The Army will receive new armored combat vehicles of various classifications, created on the basis of the Rosomak armored personnel carrier, as well as promising small arms.

Foreign military review. 2022, No. 9 P. 51-54

Import and export of weapons from Poland

The import of weapons into Poland and the export of weapons from the Republic of Poland is a separate and very specific process. We will not consider it in detail within the framework of this material, we will only mention that it is not necessary to have permanent residence for this, but you will need to prepare a lot of permitting documentation not only in Poland, but also in the country of potential entry.

Moreover, Poland will not release the weapon if it does not see permission to import it into the mentioned state. Those interested in the issue are referred to Article 43 of the Law on Weapons and Ammunition.

5:04 / 01/23/16 Small arms: new Polish machine guns

As you know, until recently, the Polish armed forces used weapons based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle. Despite the fact that the developments around the AK were quite interesting and, in fact, they can be called a parallel branch of the development of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, it was decided to create their own weapon, not based on the AK.

The new machine gun was supposed to become not only the main weapon for the Polish army, but also become the basis for a new sniper rifle and machine gun. That is, the Polish armed forces have aimed at fully modularizing their small arms. Let's try to take a closer look at the result of the work of Polish designers, especially since the result turned out to be quite interesting.

The strange decision to abandon weapons based on the Kalashnikov assault rifle was clearly not supported by anything, since those models that were created on its basis already had little in common with the AK. As stated above, the Polish branch of AK development went its own way, the goal of which was to fully comply with NATO standards. So the only thing left from the Kalashnikov assault rifle in the latest models was the automatic one. It was also decided to build the new weapon on the basis of automation with removal of powder gases from the barrel and locking when the bolt is turned. Actually, the automation scheme was completely worked out and it was impossible to create something supernova based on it.

Comparison of weapons in the classic layout and the bullpup layout / Photo: www.madeinpolska.eu

Of much greater interest is the fact that over the past two decades, Polish designers have been rushing between the classic layout and the bullpup layout. Having not come to a final decision on which layout would be most suitable for the Polish army, it was decided to create two types of weapons in two different layouts and, depending on the situation, use one or another model. A separate requirement was the maximum interchangeability of individual weapon components with each other. This was supposed to solve the price issue of production, as well as significantly simplify the repair and maintenance of weapons.

In my opinion, the creation of identical machine guns in two different configurations is more than justified, only the distribution of such weapons should be appropriate between the branches of the military. Thus, types of troops that have special requirements for the compactness of weapons should receive a bullpup and not interfere with the classic layout in any way and vice versa. That is, if you have already picked up the “classics”, then you should not switch to a bullpup, with rare exceptions. Still, the skills of handling weapons must be developed to the point of automaticity, and due to the difference in the location of the same magazine and the displacement of the bolt handle, a delay may occur that will cost the soldier’s life.

Weapons with an under-barrel grenade launcher / Photo: www.militaryfactory.com

Despite all the efforts to make weapons in two layouts with the maximum number of interchangeable components, in field conditions without special tools it is unlikely that it will be possible to switch from one layout to another, but this is not required. Despite this, the weapon has a completely interchangeable bolt group, a barrel with a powder gas exhaust tube, weapon controls, and so on. That is, the main differences relate only to the receiver and trigger mechanism.

It is worth noting that the machine has the ability to fully adapt to left-handers. Not only are all the controls duplicated on both sides, but without special tools you can change the side of ejection of spent cartridges from the weapon, which is especially important for the bullpup layout.

Underbarrel grenade launcher on a machine gun in a bullpup configuration / Photo: www.militaryfactory.com

The location of the controls, as mentioned above, is completely identical in both versions of the machine gun, with the exception of the bolt handle. All elements are located at the same distance from the pistol grip of the weapon. So the fire mode switch is located immediately above the pistol grip. The magazine release button is located above the base of the safety clip and is pressed with the index finger of the holding hand. The bolt handle is located on both sides of the weapon and is motionless when firing. The weapon has a slide delay when all ammunition from the magazine is used up, which significantly reduces the weapon's reload time. However, the slide stop does not automatically disengage when a new magazine is inserted, apparently for safety reasons. In order to disable the shutter delay there is a separate button on the back of the receiver neck. It’s hard to say how justified this is, but since they did it this way, it means they were guided by something.

Oddly enough, the weapon was not hung on all sides with Picatinny-type mounting rails; they are only available on the top and bottom. However, it is possible to install additional seats if necessary. The main sighting devices in the form of a rear sight and front sight are installed on the upper mounting bar, and the front sight is folded.

Two disassembled machine guns in different layouts / Photo: www.militaryfactory.com

A standard under-barrel grenade launcher with a 40 mm shot caliber is installed on the lower mounting bar; a laser target, a flashlight, an additional handle for holding, or a bipod can be installed in the same place. The seriousness of the intentions of the Polish armed forces regarding this weapon can be observed at least by how much time was spent on completely fine-tuning the machine gun. So in 2010, all the work on the Radon shooting system (that’s what this whole disgrace was called, traditionally for Poland it is the same name for a chemical element or mineral) and only in 2014 they presented the final versions of the weapon under the names MSBS-5,56-K and MSBS-5,56 -B for classic and bullpup layouts respectively.

Both variants of the assault rifles have a barrel length of 406 millimeters. The total length of the classic is 900 millimeters with the stock unfolded and 670 with the stock folded. Weight is 3.65 kilograms. For weapons in the bullpup configuration, the total length is 670 millimeters, that is, the same as that of the MSBS-5.56-K with the butt folded. The weight is true lower, but not by much – 3.55 kilograms. The machine guns are fed from detachable magazines from the M16 and similar ones with a capacity of 30 rounds.

It is difficult to call this weapon completely modular until there is more specific data on the machine gun and sniper rifle based on it, however, the fact that it is possible to restore order in the weapons in this way is difficult to dispute. Most likely, we will never see data on the combat use of this weapon, so we can expect approximately the same number of flattering reviews about the weapon and far from the most unfavorable ones, because all felt-tip pens have different tastes and colors, and an adequate assessment of the weapon can only be obtained with its practical and extensive application, and not on the training ground.

When writing the material, data from open Internet sources was used:

1. Materials from the website “Material Resources Management” of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Belarus.

2. Materials from the site Made in Polska.
3. Materials from the Military Factory website/
Tags: , Poland, new assault rifles, NATO standard