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Poland NATIONAL SECURITY
Armed Forces: Polish Army (until 1990 Polish
People's
Army) divided into ground forces, navy, air and air
defense
forces, and territorial defense forces. Ground forces
conscription for eighteen months, navy and air force two
years.
Mid-1992 total active-duty strength 296,500. Of 194,200
army
personnel, 109,800 conscripts; of 83,000 air force
personnel,
47,000 conscripts; of 19,300 navy personnel, 10,600
conscripts.
Estimated 435,000 reservists. Territorial defense forces
assigned
as regional defense forces in case of invasion, reduced in
size
and role in early 1990s.
Major Military Units: Administered in four
military
districts, including Kraków district newly formed 1992.
Major
restructuring and streamlining undertaken 1990; in 1992
configuration, Pomeranian district had three mechanized
divisions
and a coastal defense unit, Silesian district four
mechanized
divisions, Warsaw district two mechanized divisions, and
Kraków
two mechanized divisions (projected). Navy operated three
submarines, one destroyer, and one frigate. Air force
operated
423 combat aircraft, 31 attack helicopters, in two air
divisions.
Substantial reliance on Soviet heavy equipment remaining
from
Warsaw Pact era; increasing domestic production of light
equipment, early 1990s.
Military Budget: Major cuts 1989-92 during
reassessment
of doctrine and strategy. 1991 budget 16 trillion zloty.
Equipment purchase reduced by high allotment for personnel
maintenance in 1991 budget.
Internal Security Forces: Restructured and under
civilian control after 1989. Office of State Protection,
main
state security agency after 1990, stripped of independent
surveillance power but still object of public suspicion.
Role of
militia riot control substantially reduced. Regular police
upgraded, retrained, and reequipped. Border Guard
streamlined,
retrained for customs work and prevention of illegal
entry.
Data as of October 1992
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