Poland showcases K2 tanks and airflyover at Armed Forces Day parade
Around 2,000 troops marched in Warsaw as aircraft, including three German fighters, participated and Poland displayed 180 K2 Black Panther tanks bought from Seoul.
Poland marked its Armed Forces Day on Saturday with a long military parade through central Warsaw that displayed modern equipment and hundreds of service members amid the neighbouring war in Ukraine.
About 2,000 troops marched across the capital, while a broad array of military vehicles rolled along the route, including K2 Black Panther main battle tanks — 180 of which Warsaw purchased from Seoul last November.
Air display and allied gestures
The ceremony also included an aerial component: aircraft and helicopters flew above the city, and three German fighter jets joined the formation in a visible sign of solidarity with NATO allies. Poland has been a member of NATO since 1999.
At the central event President Karol Nawrocki, described in programme notes as a right-wing conservative politician and historian, said, "The Polish people know very well the price they paid for their independence," and framed the commemoration as a moment to look at both present and future obligations, calling it a "day of dedication to the present and the future."
The choice of 15 August evokes the Battle of Warsaw of 1920, when the newly re-established Polish state repelled an advance by the Soviet Red Army; the Polish–Soviet War concluded in 1921 with the Treaty of Riga. Since 1992, 15 August has been observed as the Day of the Polish Armed Forces.
This year’s celebrations adopted the slogan "Poland SAFE – Safe Poland," referring to the European Union’s SAFE initiative adopted last year. Under SAFE the EU will provide up to €150 billion in long-term loans to strengthen European defence capabilities and support the defence industry; Poland is the largest single beneficiary, with almost €44 billion approved.
Photo: EPA
