The Patriot and HIMARS systems fired, the enemy strikes were repelled by Abrams tanks supported by Rosomaks, in their latest version, and by aviation. More than 30,000 soldiers were involved in Exercise Iron Defender-25. The result? The Polish army gave a show of power, which fits perfectly into the NATO strategy of deterrence.

There have been no such exercises in Poland for quite some time. Exercise Iron Defender was to verify the capabilities of the 18th Mechanized Division – one of the key tactical units in the Polish army, but also to test the latest weapons, which soldiers are continuously being equipped with. In addition, there was a third, equally important goal. It was associated with the Russian-Belarusian Zapad-25 maneuvers, which were simultaneously taking place near the eastern flank of NATO. “It was about maintaining our readiness to respond in the event that these exercises, like their previous editions, entailed various types of provocations that could affect our safety,” explained General Wiesław Kukuła, Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces.

In early September, tanks and armored personnel carriers, howitzers and rocket launchers left the barracks. Ships went to sea, planes took off, and cybersecurity specialists leaned over computer monitors with more attention than usual. More than 30,000 soldiers of all branches of the armed forces were involved in the exercise, or rather in a federation of 30 interrelated exercises which made up Exercise Iron Defender. Additional support was provided by the allies, such as the Americans and the Dutch. In the following days, many things were to happen for the first time in history.

Abrams Tanks on the Expressway

The training ground in Orzysz became the main arena for the maneuvers. Exercise Iron Gate took place there, and the aforementioned 18th Mechanized Division played a crucial role in it. However, before the roar of bullets began, soldiers had to somehow get to the training ground. “The greatest challenge was to redeploy the subunits to such a distant place,” admits MajGen Arkadiusz Szkutnik, Commander of the 18th Mechanized Division. The transfer included 8,000 soldiers and 1,500 various machines. All units subordinate to the division command took part in it. “We paid particular attention to the armored subunits of the 1st Tank Battalion in Żurawica and the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade,” says MajGen Arkadiusz Szkutnik. Both units are equipped with Abrams tanks, in the arsenal of the Polish army since 2023. The Polish Ministry of National Defense bought exactly 366 of them, and they are to be one of the pillars of the modernized armored troops.

The Abrams reached the training ground using a combination of methods. For most of the route, they were transported on low-frame chassis vehicles, but they also moved on their own tracks. Such was the case in the Lublin region, where several dozen tanks came down from the chassis and drove to the training ground escorted by the Police and the Military Police. They drove 40 km of the S19 expressway with special rubber overlays on tracks to protect the asphalt.

Meanwhile, the soldiers of mechanized and artillery subunits were crossing rivers. First, almost 250 vehicles, including military trucks, Rosomak APCs, and Rak self-propelled mortars, drove across the Narew River on a hastily made floating bridge. A few days later, they all forced the Bug River, wading in its shallow waters.

Soon, the entire 18th Mechanized Division reached Orzysz and went straight into battle. A simulated enemy strike was repelled by, among others, the Abrams M1A1s, new Rosomak APCs with the ZSSW-30 remote-controlled turret system, and the K9 howitzers purchased from South Korea. Several types of UAVs were in use, including the FlyEye reconnaissance drone. Ground troops were supported by the F-16 multi-role aircraft, though not only. The Polish troops closely cooperated with NATO allies. The Abrams M1A2 SEPv3 tanks of the US 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team were present at training ground, while the American AH-64 Apache attack helicopters took to the air. At the same time, the F-35s from the Netherlands flew alongside the Polish F-16s. The purpose of this cooperation was to build interoperability within NATO but not only that. The exact equipment used during the exercise by foreign subunits will soon strengthen the Polish army. The first Abrams tanks in the SEPv3 variant arrived at the 1st Warsaw Armored Brigade in July, the first F-35s ordered in the USA will reach the base in Łask in 2026, and the deliveries of AH-64 Apache helicopters are to begin in less than three years. For the time being, helicopters leased from the Americans are stationed in Inowrocław. Therefore, soldiers practice interacting with machines such as those that will soon become an integral part of the Polish Armed Forces’ arsenal.

Voice of Patriot

However, in order to effectively repel aggression, the capability of long-distance attacks must be ensured. Aviation alone is insufficient. Modern missile systems must be included in the game, which is what happened during Exercise Autumn Fire. The Patriots purchased by Poland fired for the first time in history at the training ground near Ustka. The PAC-2 GEM-T missiles fired from mobile launchers can hit targets located 160 km away. In Ustka, this distance was a little shorter. The missiles aimed at jet drones that were moving over the surface of the Baltic Sea, several dozen kilometers from the shore.

During the firing, the soldiers used the so-called IBCS (Integrated Battle Command System), which allows for collecting and processing data from all radars available in a given area. Apart from the USA, Poland is the only user of this system. “We are building a multi-layered defense system,” reminded Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, during the conference accompanying the firing practice. “We start with the very-short-range program – Pilica+, then the Narew program, and finally the two phases of the Wisła program, which are being implemented,” he added. Poland bought Patriots as part of the Wisła program.

“For us, combat shooting is the culmination of many years of effort. Since 2020, our soldiers have been training in the USA and Germany. When the first Patriots appeared in Poland two years ago, we began to train intensively on simulators and training grounds,” recalls Capt Marcin Pypkowski from the 37th Air Defense Squadron, and adds that the Patriots will provide the Polish army with brand new capabilities. “With these systems, we are able to combat Iskanders [Russian-made short-range missiles] and other missiles of this type,” he adds.

The Homar-A rocket launchers, i.e. the HIMARS launchers bought in the USA, and the Homar-Ks, which are the South Korean Chunmoo launchers, also opened fire at the training ground. “Homar is a multiple rocket launcher designed to destroy high-value targets, such as enemy command posts, anti-aircraft or anti-missile systems,” reminds Col Daniel Noga of the General Command of the Branches of the Polish Armed Forces. Its range is from several dozen to even 300 km. In addition, the missiles can hit targets with great precision. “We are in the process of implementing this equipment in the arsenal of the armed forces. We want it to make a coherent system. The command, reconnaissance, and ammunition vehicles will be the same. Only effectors, i.e. launchers, will remain different,” points out Col Daniel Noga.

On the Sea Flank

Iron Defender are also exercises at sea. The Baltic part of the operation was codenamed Fearless Shark. A few days after the subunits of the 18th Mechanized Division started moving towards Orzysz, several ships of various class left the war ports in Świnoujście and Gdynia. Among them, there were a frigate, a corvette, and anti-mine ships. For two weeks, the units conducted mine-countermeasure operations, repelled simulated air attacks, and searched for submarines. During the last phase, the seamen used the AUV62-AT unmanned simulator, which imitates the behavior of a submarine.

The mariners also practiced artillery and torpedo firing. During the exercises, they could count on the support of naval aviation, including the latest acquisition – the AW101 helicopter, as well as the Marine Missile Unit operating from the coast. “Our goal is to test the readiness of the Polish Navy to conduct a defensive operation in the Baltic Sea and, in a broader aspect, to participate in a multi-domain operation. After all, during a war, individual branches of armed forces never operate in detachment,” explained Capt (N) Leszek Dziadek from the Naval Operations Center – Naval Component Command (COM DKM). The primary goal is to block a possible enemy landing, but also to protect key shipping routes. Most supplies reach Poland and neighboring NATO countries via these routes.

Subunits from several brigades of Territorial Defense Forces (TDF) were also included in the activities of the frontline units. During Exercise Firestorm conducted at the training ground in Nowa Dęba, the TDF troops focused, among other things, on targeted strikes that are to slow down the enemy’s march deeper into Polish territory, as well as to protect key infrastructure. Subsequent exercise episodes included operators of FlyEye reconnaissance and Warmate attack drones, Carl Gustaf grenade launchers or Javelin launchers, as well as snipers. “We fired from everything we had in our equipment,” commented BrigGen Krzysztof Stańczyk, Commander of Territorial Defense Forces, emphasizing that it was the first such exercise since the formation was established. At the same time, they were the culmination of previous training, aimed to synchronize the soldiers at all levels – from team to company.

Direction: Advancement

What have we learned from Exercise Iron Defender? “The Iron Division, which is testing its level of readiness, is passing this exam with flying colors,” immediately assessed Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Polish Deputy Prime Minister. In fact, the 18th Mechanized Division proved that it is able to move quickly and using various methods, to the indicated areas of NATO’s eastern flank, and start operations in close cooperation with allies. The maneuvers also revealed that the Polish army not only buys modern types of weapons, but also gradually introduces them in to service, thus creating a coherent system. At the organizational level, in turn, one can see the growing role of TDF units as support for operational forces.

The creators of the exercise have not forgotten how important a role in the geopolitical and economic puzzle is currently played by the Baltic Sea, although there is still a lot to do in this area. The Polish Navy is still waiting for new frigates, submarines and the rearmament of the ORP Ślązak patrol ship, which are to strengthen its combat capabilities, severely damaged in recent decades.

The intended grandiosity of Exercise Iron Defender was to fit into NATO’s deterrence strategy. The signal sent to the East was further strengthened by other exercises with the participation of Polish soldiers, which took place in Sweden and the Baltic States. “It is very important that in these difficult, critical times the world sees that NATO and Poland are prepared for various threats,” said Donald Tusk, Polish Prime Minister, in Ustka. Without much risk, it can be assumed that the goal has been achieved.