Members of the Polish army and special forces just completed training with U.S-made anti-tank Javelin missile systems, and these advanced weapons are now expected to become a standard piece of equipment for Poland’s military.
The training at the Polish Territorial Army’s Training Center in Torun, completed on June 17, helped enable trainees to practice firing the missiles in the field, and involved 60 soldiers from the territorial army and special forces.
It was the first time Polish soldiers have actually fired Javelin missiles despite the weapon serving as a common defense system in the NATO community.
The FGM-148 Javelin is an American man-portable fire and forget anti-tank missile. The Javelin’s HEAT warhead is capable of defeating modern tanks by hitting them from above where their armor is thinnest. The training conducted is linked to Poland acquiring 60 command launch units, 180 missiles and several sets of training sets.
As part of the contract, Poland will come only second to the U.S. in having the most modern version FGM-148F installed.
Poszło! Pierwsze w @wojskopolskie strzelanie z systemu JAVELIN.
Strzelają #Terytorialsi do których trafi ten system przeciwpancerny. W Centrum Szkolenia WOT w #Toruń, skończyło się szkolenie dla instruktorów, techników uzbrojenia i operatorów. pic.twitter.com/yeKQEyUSB2
— Terytorialsi – Zawsze gotowi, zawsze blisko! (@terytorialsi) June 17, 2021
The territorial army will be the first to be equipped with the systems in the east of Poland. Javelin, together with Warmate drones, will enable Polish soldiers to form Tank Destroying Units to be deployed, which will include drone operators, missile operators, snipers, and sappers.
The anti-tank units will be established gradually as they become fully equipped and trained. They will become a vital part of the multi-layered anti-tank defenses, capable of hitting tanks from two to 10 kilometers away.
Most of the training of the anti-tank operators will be conducted in simulators in the territorial army. Advanced training and instruction will be carried out at the center in Toruń, which is where Warmate drone operators will also train.
