Editing Poland (section)

=== Military ===
{{Main|Polish Armed Forces}}
[[File:F-16 Jastrząb (48).jpg|thumb|[[Polish Air Force]] [[F-16 Fighting Falcon|F-16s]], a single-engine [[Multirole combat aircraft|multirole]] [[fighter aircraft]]]]

The Polish Armed Forces are composed of five branches – the [[Polish Land Forces|Land Forces]], the [[Polish Navy|Navy]], the [[Polish Air Force|Air Force]], the [[Special forces of Poland|Special Forces]] and the [[Territorial Defence Force (Poland)|Territorial Defence Force]].<ref name="Mihalcova 2019">{{Cite book |last1=Mihalčová |first1=Bohuslava |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=goqADwAAQBAJ&dq=%22poland%2Barmed%2Bforces%2Bterritorial%2Bdefense%2Bnavy%2Bland%2Bforces%252C%2Bair%2Bforce%22&pg=PA174 |title=Production Management and Business Development: Proceedings of the 6th Annual International Scientific Conference on Marketing Management, Trade, Financial and Social Aspects of Business. |last2=Szaryszová |first2=Petra |last3=Štofová |first3=Lenka |last4=Pružinský |first4=Michal |last5=Gontkovičová |first5=Barbora |date=2019 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-0-429-46866-7 |location=Boca Raton |pages=174–175 |orig-date=2018 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180448/https://books.google.com/books?id=goqADwAAQBAJ&pg=PA174&dq=%22poland+armed+forces+territorial+defense+navy+land+forces%2C+air+force%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> The military is subordinate to the [[Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland]].<ref name="Mihalcova 2019" /> However, its commander-in-chief in peacetime is the president, who nominates officers, the Minister for National Defence and the chief of staff.<ref name="Mihalcova 2019" /> Polish military tradition is generally commemorated by the [[Armed Forces Day (Poland)|Armed Forces Day]], celebrated annually on 15 August.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zalewski |first=Jerzy |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ML4hAQAAIAAJ&q=%25C5%259Bwi%25C4%2599to%2520wojska%2520polskiego%252015%2520sierpnia%2520sejm |title=Wojsko Polskie w przemianach ustrojowych 1989–2001 |date=2002 |publisher=Elipsa |isbn=978-83-7151-494-4 |location=Warszawa (Warsaw) |page=131 |language=pl |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=24 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230724235927/https://books.google.com/books?id=ML4hAQAAIAAJ&q=%25C5%259Bwi%25C4%2599to%2520wojska%2520polskiego%252015%2520sierpnia%2520sejm |url-status=live }}</ref> In July 2024, the Polish Armed Forces had a combined strength of 216,100 active soldiers, making it the largest standing army in the European Union and the third largest in [[NATO]].<ref name="Celej">{{cite web |last=Celej |first=Piotr |date=2024 |title=Raport: Polska armia trzecia w NATO i największa w Unii Europejskiej |url=https://www.gazetaprawna.pl/wiadomosci/kraj/artykuly/9547402,raport-polska-armia-trzecia-w-nato-i-najwieksza-w-unii-europejskiej.html#:~:text=Wed%C5%82ug%20najnowszych%20danych%20z%20raportu,przez%20Turcj%C4%99%20i%20Stany%20Zjednoczone. |website=gazetaprawna.pl |publisher=Gazeta Prawna, INFOR PL S.A. |access-date=22 February 2025}}</ref>

Poland ranks [[List of countries with highest military expenditures|14th in the world]] in terms of military expenditures; the country allocated 4.12% of its total GDP on military spending, equivalent to approximately US$35 billion in 2024.<ref name="ENR">{{cite web |author=Polska Agencja Prasowa (PAP) |date=2024 |title=Poland is already spending the most on defense in terms of GDP among NATO countries |url=https://europeannewsroom.com/poland-is-already-spending-the-most-on-defense-in-terms-of-gdp-among-nato-countries/ |website=europeannewsroom.com |publisher=European Newsroom (ENR) |access-date=22 February 2025}}</ref> From 2022, Poland initiated a programme of mass modernisation of its armed forces, in close cooperation with American, South Korean and local Polish [[Arms industry|defence manufacturers]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lepiarz |first=Jacek |date=27 August 2022 |title=Europa Środkowa i Wschodnia nie kupuje niemieckiej broni |url=https://www.msn.com/pl-pl/wiadomosci/other/europa-%C5%9Brodkowa-i-wschodnia-nie-kupuje-niemieckiej-broni/ar-AA11azUo |access-date=28 August 2022 |website=MSN |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828153341/https://www.msn.com/pl-pl/wiadomosci/other/europa-%C5%9Brodkowa-i-wschodnia-nie-kupuje-niemieckiej-broni/ar-AA11azUo |url-status=live }}</ref> Also, the Polish military is set to increase its size to 250,000 enlisted and officers, and 50,000 defence force personnel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=L. |first=Wojciech |date=29 March 2022 |title=Quick and Bold: Poland's Plan To Modernize its Army |url=https://www.overtdefense.com/2022/03/29/quick-and-bold-polands-plan-to-modernize-its-army/ |access-date=28 August 2022 |website=Overt Defense |archive-date=28 August 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828190826/https://www.overtdefense.com/2022/03/29/quick-and-bold-polands-plan-to-modernize-its-army/ |url-status=live }}</ref> According to [[SIPRI]], the country exported €487 million worth of arms and armaments to foreign countries in 2020.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/poland_2018.pdf |title=Eksport uzbrojenia i sprzętu wojskowego Polski |last=Government of Poland |date=2019 |publisher=Ministerstwo Spraw Zagranicznych MSZ (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) |location=Warszawa (Warsaw) |page=4 |access-date=24 March 2022 |archive-date=28 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220328012842/https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/2020-07/poland_2018.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Compulsory [[Conscription|military service]] for men, who previously had to serve for nine months, was discontinued in 2008.<ref name="Day 2008" /> Polish military doctrine reflects the same defensive nature as that of its NATO partners and the country actively hosts NATO's [[military exercises]].<ref name="IISS 2022">{{Cite book |last=International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ENljEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22The%2BMilitary%2BBalance%2B2021%2Bpoland%22&pg=PA134 |title=The Military Balance 2022 |publisher=Routledge |year=2022 |isbn=978-1-000-61972-0 |location=Milton |pages=134–137 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180458/https://books.google.com/books?id=ENljEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA134&dq=%22The+Military+Balance+2021+poland%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> Since 1953, the country has been a large contributor to various United Nations peacekeeping missions,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Zięba |first=Ryszard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Mc-8DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22poland%2Bcontributor%2Bpeacekeeping%2Bmissions%2Bmiddle%2Beast%22&pg=PA226 |title=Poland's Foreign and Security Policy: Problems of Compatibility with the Changing International Order |date=2020 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-030-30697-7 |location=Cham |pages=226–229 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180449/https://books.google.com/books?id=Mc-8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA226&dq=%22poland+contributor+peacekeeping+missions+middle+east%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> and currently maintains military presence in the Middle East, Africa, the [[Baltic states]] and southeastern Europe.<ref name="IISS 2022" /> Moreover, there are approximately 10,000 troops from the [[United States Armed Forces]] stationed across Poland.<ref name="DepartmentofState">{{cite web |author=Bureau of Political-Military Affairs |date=2025 |title=U.S. Security Cooperation With Poland |url=https://www.state.gov/u-s-security-cooperation-with-poland/ |website= |publisher=U.S. Department of State |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref> From 2024, Poland also provides mandatory [[firearms training]] for pupils in primary and secondary schools.<ref name="PAPpl">{{cite web |author=Danuta Starzyńska-Rosiecka |date=2024 |title=Zmiany w nowym roku szkolnym |url=https://www.pap.pl/aktualnosci/zmiany-w-nowym-roku-szkolnym-odchudzona-podstawa-programowa-i-obowiazek-edukacji-dla-0 |website=pap.pl |location=Warszawa (Warsaw) |publisher=Polish Press Agency PAP |access-date=27 April 2025}}</ref>