The defence ministry said the parade would be the largest in Poland's history in terms of military equipment, featuring more than 300 vehicles and 60 aircraft, including Poland's new F-35 fighter jets.
Kukuła, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, said the rehearsal on Sunday morning along Warsaw’s Vistula River went according to plan and that the military was prepared for the event next Saturday.
Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda said about 9,000 troops were involved in preparations, while 1,800 soldiers, including 103 women, would take part in the parade itself.
Polish Deputy Defence Minister Paweł Bejda speaks during a rehearsal ahead of the Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw on Sunday, alongside Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
All branches of the armed forces will be represented, including the army, air force, navy, special forces and the territorial defence force, as well as military police, military academies and active-reserve units, officials said.
Troops from allied countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, Lithuania, Estonia, Sweden and Romania will also take part.
Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Kukuła said the largest allied contingent will come from France, including a unit from the French Foreign Legion.
Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
A naval parade involving more than 20 vessels, including frigates, corvettes, hydrographic ships and minehunters, will be held simultaneously in the Baltic seaports of Gdynia and Gdańsk. Allied ships from countries including Estonia, Lithuania and Sweden will also participate.
The Warsaw parade will also feature horses, which Bejda said would be the only animals taking part.
Kukuła said the soldiers were dedicating the parade to Polish taxpayers who fund the military and its modernisation.
"Ten thousand soldiers will demonstrate the transformation of the armed forces" during the August 15 celebrations, he said. The figure includes personnel involved in the broader celebrations and security arrangements.
Although the main ceremony will take place in Warsaw, soldiers and military equipment will be displayed in cities across Poland, Kukuła said.
The Warsaw parade will feature Borsuk and Rosomak armoured vehicles, Abrams and K2 tanks, Krab self-propelled howitzers and Gladius drone systems.
Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
The air display over the Vistula River will include F-16 fighter jets, which form the backbone of Poland's combat aviation, as well as F-35s, the newest addition to the Polish air force. The first F-35s arrived in Poland in May.
Black Hawk, AW149 and AH-64 Apache helicopters will also be displayed.
Kukuła stressed that August 15 would remain "a normal day of duty" for Polish troops, citing ongoing military operations along the country’s eastern border and in its airspace.
"Polish soldiers will spend this day normally on duty, ensuring the security of Poland and its citizens," he said.
Gen. Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces. Photo: PAP/Piotr Nowak
Armed Forces Day is observed annually on August 15 to commemorate the 1920 Battle of Warsaw, when Polish forces defeated advancing Bolshevik troops in a counteroffensive.
The military parade is a central part of the celebrations, with thousands of troops and displays of Poland's latest military equipment.
According to figures presented by the General Staff in February, Poland’s armed forces had 217,075 personnel as of the start of this year. Men accounted for 83 percent and women 17 percent. Professional soldiers made up 74.7 percent of the force, with territorial defence troops at 17.3 percent, voluntary basic military service at 7.7 percent and active reserves at 0.3 percent.
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Source: IAR, PAP