Poland stages major manoeuvres amid Russia tensions

AFP ^ | September 23, 2014

[Tailgunner Joe]

Poland kicks off major military exercises involving eight NATO partners on Wednesday amid the West's worst standoff with Russia since the end of the Cold War sparked by differences over the Ukraine crisis.

Organised every two years since 2006, this year's Anaconda manoeuvres involve 12,500 soldiers, with 750 from NATO members the US and Britain among others, the Polish defence ministry said, adding the event "has become a permanent training element of the North Atlantic alliance".

The exercises are designed to coordinate cooperation with NATO's rapid reaction forces, created at the alliance's Cardiff summit earlier this month.

They also come as the US State Department approved this week the possible sale to Poland of air-to-surface missiles as part of plans to equip and upgrade Warsaw's fleet of F-16s.

Poland has earmarked 33.6 billion euros ($43 billion) to upgrade its military equipment over 10 years, including acquiring a missile shield, armoured personnel carriers, submarines and drones.

Amid the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski proposed raising defence spending to 2.0 percent of GDP, from the current 1.95 percent.

Poland, a former Soviet satellite state with a population of 38 million, joined NATO in 1999 a decade after shedding communism.

[17th Miss Regt]

If they really want to reassure Russia of their peaceful intentions call the maneuvers “Operation Red Beard”.

[RetiredTexasVet]

Pity poor Poland .... it is only a matter of time before His Arrogance sells them out upholding the tradition of previous Progressives.

[Navy Patriot]

Pity poor Poland .... it is only a matter of time before His Arrogance sells them out upholding the tradition of previous Progressives.

Yes, but then, ...Fool me once, ...

[markomalley]

While everybody is distracted...the Russian Bear growls.

Good that the Poles are paying attention.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[ansel12]

Go NATO, my old team and still my favorite over the war mongering evil Russians.

[wetphoenix]

~Amid the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski proposed raising defence spending to 2.0 percent of GDP, from the current 1.95 percent.~

Why not 20%? You have to mean business after all. Who needs a 50 F-16 airforce? 500 jets would make a better airshow. It will show the bear how mighty and invisible Poland is! They also need a carrier. It makes no sense for Poland to have none as far as any other superpower has them. Or better two, because even a puny China already have one. Ah?

[Mariner]

Of note: Poland appears to be the only country in NATO besides the US to spend 2%+ on defense.

And is doing THEIR part to uphold the Treaty by doing so.

Bravo! to Poland.

[LeeClementineKenny]

Haven't they been spending below the targeted 2% GDP for defense spending since the agreement in 2006? They are proposing the increase now, but it sounds like they should have been doing this sooner. I read that the United States, Great Britain, Greece, and Estonia were the only countries that were meeting the target 2%. I guess Poland is in the process of increasing it's defense spending to 2% and putting 25% of that toward major equipment. NATO counties had also agreed to put at least 20% of their budget toward major equipment.

[Carry_Okie]

The left will never let stand what Reagan accomplished, which was to prove their prototype slave-state vile, dysfunctional, and beatable. America built the Soviet Union into a viable enemy. We have done the same with Islam. All we have to do to defeat both of them is to stop subsidizing their economies with our regulatory behemoth.

[AmericanExceptionalist]

Poland has earmarked 33.6 billion euros ($43 billion) to upgrade its military equipment over 10 years, including acquiring a missile shield, armoured personnel carriers, submarines and drones.

Would that be the same missile shield that President Obama appears to think the Poles do not need? (It was, after all, one of his first acts, in his first term as president, to cancel any American plans for that missile shield.)

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Why not 20%? You have to mean business after all. Who needs a 50 F-16 airforce? 500 jets would make a better airshow. It will show the bear how mighty and invisible Poland is! They also need a carrier. It makes no sense for Poland to have none as far as any other superpower has them. Or better two, because even a puny China already have one. Ah?

Thanks for your input in support of your country Russia, vatnik. You can go back to your vodka bottle now.

[wetphoenix]

A picture worth a thousand words: Have no fear, a Nazi wannabes! To Moscow! Obama and Soros with you!

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

A picture worth a thousand words:

A picture worth a thousand words, vatnik. Your buddies with the severed heads of Ukrainians:

http://einsamerkrieger.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/612x634.jpg

Your buddies hanging people up on electricity poles for fun:

http://einsamerkrieger.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/1875.jpg

You support killers, terrorists and rapists, and then have the indecency to call other people "liars" and Nazis. Burn in hell, Russkie.

[free_life]

Yes how dare Poland, such a provocation against Russia, Putin must invade to protect Russia’a glory.

[wetphoenix]

I don’t know where you got a severed head, but the second picture is picked out of context. It is actually from a destroyed ‘russian’ convoy, there is a detonated IFV below and the guy is most likely a gunner shot up through the manhole from his station by explosion.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

I don’t know where you got a severed head, but the second picture is picked out of context. It is actually from a destroyed ‘russian’ convoy, there is a detonated IFV below and the guy is most likely a gunner shot up through the manhole from his station by explosion.

You're a liar who speaks Russian. From the translation: "In Starobeshevo, ours hanged dead ukrop1 on power lines with a fire truck. Let him fly!" It is from a Vkontakte page. The severed heads are also from your Russkie buddies.

[wetphoenix]

Do you really think your Ukie pals are unable to make a fake account and post it posing as rebels for propaganda?

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

Do you really think your Ukie pals are unable to make a fake account and post it posing as rebels for propaganda?

There sure is lots of propaganda:

The Ukrainians get everywhere. They even pose as Chechen Muslims sent from Russia, and even take the time to mutilate their dead, and plant fake mass graves:

http://einsamerkrieger.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/charred-mutilated-hand.jpg

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/world/europe/article4157625.ece

And all the women claiming to have been gang raped by your people, and their mutiliated faces, are also all liars, eh Russkie? It was done by the Ukrainians and then put on the media.

Shut up Russkie. You know what's what, but you don't care.