NATO should be like a fist. Allied armies operating according to the same procedures, and commands capable of leading tactical alliances from other countries. In short, it’s about interoperability. Exercise Combined Resolve turned theory into practice.

At the very top, there were Americans from the 7th Army Training Command. They had prepared the script and observed how its assumptions were being implemented. Next below, there was HICOM, a high command with officers (for the most part) from the 11th (Lubuska) Armored Cavalry Division (11th DKPanc). Last but not least, under their command, there were four allied brigades – from the USA, Norway, Great Britain, and Romania, supported by troops from several other countries. Thousands of soldiers, artillery, aviation, tanks, and armored vehicles, all launched for one purpose – to repel the enemy’s attack on southern Germany. Here is the Exercise Combined Resolve 25-1.

Clash in the Box

The Reds attacked from the east. They occupied the Baltic states, and then through Poland and the Czech Republic, they made their way to Bavaria. On a crucial stretch of the route, however, their march was stopped by a multinational NATO division. The Polish command threw the 3rd Brigade detached from the United States Army’s 10th Mountain Division into battle. This brigade is unique in its own way. “It has recently undergone a thorough reorganization. It transformed into a light infantry brigade, equipped with a huge number of reconnaissance and assault drones. This way, the Americans shifted observations and conclusions from the Ukrainian front onto their own soil,” explains MajGen Piotr Fajkowski, Commander of the 11th (Lubuska) Armored Cavalry Division, who headed the HICOM during the maneuvers.
The American unit was reinforced by a Slovak mechanized company, an Armenian medical troop, and Apache helicopters from the U.S. Army’s 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, after which it entered ‘the box.’ The box is a 20-km long and 15-km wide section of the Hohenfels training ground, full of forests, hills, and valleys, where several mock towns were built for the Exercise. It was there that the Americans stood face-to-face with a dangerously formidable opponent.

The role of OPFOR (Opposing Forces) was played by soldiers from the mechanized battalion, which is stationed in the German center on a regular basis. They know the training ground inside and out. They are able to navigate it efficiently, disguise themselves well and... inflict severe losses on the highly trained and organized troops. To further increase the realism of operations, both sides used shooting simulators. The weapons had been equipped with overlays that emit a laser beam upon pulling the trigger. If it hits a target, such as a soldier or a vehicle, the sensors signal it, and determine how serious its consequences are.

Virtual Battle Dimension

Simultaneously, the Exercise Combined Resolve battles also took place in the virtual world, which was a natural extension of the training ground. “Three brigades operated in this space,” informs Maj Damian Wojsa from the staff commanding the multinational forces. One of them was Norwegian. “The command of their brigade stayed in the country. There, it received our orders and directed the movements of the frontline troops, realistically designed in the JCATS, a battlefield simulation system,” explains Maj Damian Wojsa. The next two brigades were from Great Britain and Romania. Except that they, unlike the Norwegian one, did not have an actual command. They functioned entirely within the system. At this level, specialists from other countries also carried out their tasks, such as the soldiers of the 11th DKPanc missile and artillery troops who provided support to mechanized troops.

The first step was to gather information about potential targets. The key data came from image and radio-electronic reconnaissance. Then the process of the so-called targeting started. “It was about selecting and prioritizing individual targets, as well as selecting the tools with which they were to be destroyed. It all depended on the operation requirements and the commander’s orders,” explains Col Ryszard Różycki, the 11th DKPanc officer of missile, artillery, and targeting troops. The artillerymen were interested in, among others, the enemy’s air defense systems, their rocket launchers, howitzers, and radars. To hit them, they used American and German weapons, such as HIMARS and MLRS launchers, as well as Paladin and PzH 2000 howitzers. During the targeting process, Polish specialists worked closely with the Americans. “In particular, we benefited from the work of the American JAGIC [Joint Air--Ground Integration Centre],” admits Col Ryszard Różycki. Their task was to synchronize the fire of various artillery and aviation subunits to avoid ‘friendly fire,’ i.e., being mistakenly fired at by an ally. During such activities, JAGIC specialists also close certain airspace zones, or more precisely, the zones where the trajectories of missiles and NATO fighters could intersect.

Still, the war is not only about battlefield fighting. In the background, there are always civilians who can have a significant impact on the activity of troops. The authors of the script for Exercise Combined Resolve took care of every detail. During the exercise, there were several mock towns within the training ground with their own residents, public authorities, media, and NGOs. The war marked heavily on their lives. The Reds in many different ways made their attempts to spread panic and defeatism among them, and weaken their will to survive.

“At some point, for example, our adversary took control of our account on Platform X and used it to spread disinformation. There appeared posts about the alleged movements of the troops and the tortures that our soldiers had supposedly committed,” recalls Maj Artur Pinkowski, a Spokesman for the 11th DKPanc. Control over the profile was quickly regained, but the residents had to be reassured in some way. During one of the press conferences, MajGen Piotr Fajkowski, the Commander of HICOM, met with them. Shortly after the fighting began, the crowds of refugees appeared on the roads. “It was necessary to ensure that the flow of refugees did not interfere with the movement of troops, and then we had to provide these people with appropriate assistance,” explains Maj Rafał Kajper who coordinated activities in the civil-military domain during the Exercise.

All activities successfully led to a happy ending. After stopping the invading Reds, the division commanded by the Poles counterattacked and pushed the enemy out of the territory they had occupied. However, this was not the most crucial part of the training. For the 11th DKPanc, Exercise Combined Resolve was a test that was supposed to answer the fundamental question: is the Polish command able to operate within the structures of the U.S. Army?

Systems Working Arm in Arm

The soldiers of the 11th DKPanc have been visiting Hohenfels for a few years now. They trained in boxing, formed HICOM three times and led multinational forces. However, each subsequent edition of Exercise Combined Resolve requires solid preparation. This time was no different. “Our command had the opportunity to direct the activities of the American brigade during the Dragon 2024 maneuvers. In addition, there were numerous trainings and workshops carried out by, among others, officers of the U.S. Army’s 1st Cavalry Division, which is currently stationed with us as part of the next ABCT [Armored Brigade Combat Team] rotation. During this training, we became accustomed to American procedures,” explains MajGen Piotr Fajkowski.

The armies of NATO member countries ground on the same doctrine, but they differ in the approach to specific parts of it. Example? “The process of planning and preparing for action goes through the same stages in our country and in the U.S. troops. Except that the Americans more often organize working meetings, which are less formal than those in the Polish army, based largely on relatively casual discussions and exchange of views, and the conclusions drawn are used to develop recommendations for the commander,” describes MajGen Piotr Fajkowski. In addition, there is a specific language based on abbreviations and acronyms. Often two identical abbreviations refer to different procedures, at which point knowing the context is crucial. The Poles, if they want to enter this environment, must get used to these details. Especially if they are to perform such an important function as the 11th DKPanc in Hohenfels.

During Exercise Combined Resolve, the Polish HICOM operated on the principles typical of the U.S. Army command. However, they did not use American equipment. “We brought to Germany our own tactical command post, and integrated it with American systems,” emphasizes MajGen Piotr Fajkowski. Despite technical differences, HICOM officers could easily exchange information with the commanders of their subordinate brigades. The planned movements of the troops, which the Polish staff members put on electronic maps in real time, were visible to the U.S. Army. Computer monitors were mutually compatible. “At first glance, merging systems should not seem difficult. But that’s the case, though. Keep in mind that we worked in an environment where most data held confidentiality clause. They had to be properly protected,” admits LtCol Bartosz Wirski from the 11th DKPanc, who was responsible for communication during the Exercise.

Combined Operations Time

The test was successful, and this, from NATO’s point of view, is of serious importance. Interoperability, i.e. the ability of troops from different countries to interact, is, after all, one of the foundations of the Alliance. “We, as the 11th DKPanc, must be ready to smoothly transfer from being commanded by the Polish II Corps to being subordinate to the U.S. V Corps, if necessary, and immediately proceed to carrying out our tasks. If this takes place in combat conditions, there will be no time for any preparation for combined operations. The time is now,” emphasizes MajGen Piotr Fajkowski.

The 11th (Lubuska) Armored Cavalry Division is therefore consistently strengthening ties with the Americans, but it is also strongly embedding itself in the broadly understood structures of NATO. Here, too, the Żagań officers will soon face a serious challenge. Next year, the representatives of the division command will leave for France. During Exercise Orion 2026, just like in Hohenfels, they will command the operations of a division composed of soldiers from several nations. This time, however, they will have not the Americans, but the staff of the NATO Multinational Rapid Reaction Corps as superiors.

Appointing Polish soldiers to such positions and roles further proves that the Polish Armed Forces are an important link in NATO calculations. The Alliance, despite political turbulence, remains a guarantor of stability in this part of the world.
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Translated by Anita Kwaterowska