Latest news with #MichalStrzelecki
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
The Ukraine war is showing Polish paratroopers that light infantry skills still matter, general says
NATO militaries are watching the Ukraine war and using the conflict to inform training. A top Polish general said he's learning that light infantry skills are still very important. "It must be developed better," Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki told BI. In a war where tanks struggle to move without drawing the attention of a drone, missions sometimes fall more to small, agile, light infantry units. That's one of many lessons that NATO militaries are taking from the Ukraine war. A top Polish general overseeing the country's paratroopers said that a big takeaway is that light infantry skills, like those brought by airborne forces, still matter. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told Business Insider that he is seeing in Ukraine "a kind of refreshment of the light infantry skills." Light infantry troops are rapidly deployable forces. They can move quickly and fight without the support of heavy armored vehicles, like tanks or infantry fighting vehicles. These troops are often lightly armed and equipped for versatility and swift, flexible operations that include surprise attacks and raids. For airborne forces, missions can involve insertion operations from planes or helicopters. US and other NATO forces used highly mobile light infantry for remote patrols and small-unit engagements during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ukraine war, as a large-scale conventional fight, is very different from America's post-9/11 conflicts, but the war is showing that there is still a role for lighter infantry forces and a need for those skills in big potential future fights. For instance, mobile light infantry units operating between strongpoints played an invaluable role in helping defend Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Light infantry was also involved in urban warfare operations around the eastern city of Bakhmut. And in multiple instances, airborne and air assault brigades have conducted successful night assaults, small-unit ambushes, and rapid strategic deployments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week, Strzelecki said fighting in Europe has been historically heavily focused on maneuver warfare, "which requires a lot of, let's say, mechanized units, armored units." Tanks played a prominent role in both World War I and World War II, supporting dismounted infantry forces by delivering an armored punch to break through enemy lines. During the Cold War, Soviet armored assets were a major concern for NATO and factored into how allies developed their own armored capabilities. And amid the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, tanks and other armor again found themselves useful in the European theater. Strzelecki said that the Ukraine war shows that the skills of light infantry units have not been forgotten. "It must be developed better, and this is what we are doing in the 6th Airborne. We are very focused on [those kinds] of operations." "We are light infantry, airborne infantry. So that's why we have to be focused on that," he added. The scarred battlefields of Ukraine have been far less permissive for tank and armor operations than some other conflicts. Not only have the Soviet tank designs struggled, but so have top Western tanks like the American Abrams and German Leopards. Heavy Russian defenses during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive derailed Ukrainian efforts to breach enemy positions with armor and mechanized or motorized infantry assaults. Forces sometimes abandoned their vehicles and took the fight to the enemy on foot. Light infantry assaults saw mixed results. The situation for armored assets has only become more difficult with time and the growing proliferation of uncrewed systems. The Ukraine war has been defined by the heavy use of drones, enabling near-constant surveillance and atypical strike options. This is a difficult operating environment for armored vehicles. Thousands of these combat vehicles have been damaged and destroyed, with many taken out by small drones strapped with explosives. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
7 days ago
- General
- Business Insider
The Ukraine war is showing Polish paratroopers that light infantry skills still matter, general says
In a war where tanks struggle to move without drawing the attention of a drone, missions sometimes fall more to small, agile, light infantry units. That's one of many lessons that NATO militaries are taking from the Ukraine war. A top Polish general overseeing the country's paratroopers said that a big takeaway is that light infantry skills, like those brought by airborne forces, still matter. Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, told Business Insider that he is seeing in Ukraine "a kind of refreshment of the light infantry skills." Light infantry troops are rapidly deployable forces. They can move quickly and fight without the support of heavy armored vehicles, like tanks or infantry fighting vehicles. These troops are often lightly armed and equipped for versatility and swift, flexible operations that include surprise attacks and raids. For airborne forces, missions can involve insertion operations from planes or helicopters. US and other NATO forces used highly mobile light infantry for remote patrols and small-unit engagements during counterinsurgency operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Ukraine war, as a large-scale conventional fight, is very different from America's post-9/11 conflicts, but the war is showing that there is still a role for lighter infantry forces and a need for those skills in big potential future fights. For instance, mobile light infantry units operating between strongpoints played an invaluable role in helping defend Ukraine's northeastern Sumy region during the early days of the full-scale invasion. Light infantry was also involved in urban warfare operations around the eastern city of Bakhmut. And in multiple instances, airborne and air assault brigades have conducted successful night assaults, small-unit ambushes, and rapid strategic deployments. Speaking on the sidelines of the Lively Sabre 25 exercise in southern Finland last week, Strzelecki said fighting in Europe has been historically heavily focused on maneuver warfare, "which requires a lot of, let's say, mechanized units, armored units." Tanks played a prominent role in both World War I and World War II, supporting dismounted infantry forces by delivering an armored punch to break through enemy lines. During the Cold War, Soviet armored assets were a major concern for NATO and factored into how allies developed their own armored capabilities. And amid the conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s, tanks and other armor again found themselves useful in the European theater. Strzelecki said that the Ukraine war shows that the skills of light infantry units have not been forgotten. "It must be developed better, and this is what we are doing in the 6th Airborne. We are very focused on [those kinds] of operations." "We are light infantry, airborne infantry. So that's why we have to be focused on that," he added. The scarred battlefields of Ukraine have been far less permissive for tank and armor operations than some other conflicts. Not only have the Soviet tank designs struggled, but so have top Western tanks like the American Abrams and German Leopards. Heavy Russian defenses during Ukraine's 2023 counteroffensive derailed Ukrainian efforts to breach enemy positions with armor and mechanized or motorized infantry assaults. Forces sometimes abandoned their vehicles and took the fight to the enemy on foot. Light infantry assaults saw mixed results. The situation for armored assets has only become more difficult with time and the growing proliferation of uncrewed systems. The Ukraine war has been defined by the heavy use of drones, enabling near-constant surveillance and atypical strike options. This is a difficult operating environment for armored vehicles. Thousands of these combat vehicles have been damaged and destroyed, with many taken out by small drones strapped with explosives.
Business Insider
31-05-2025
- Business Insider
We got an inside look at how frontline NATO allies would fight Russia
BI observed Finnish and Polish forces in an exercise simulating a tactical air landing operation. One team seized a strategically located airfield while another had to counterattack and retake it. These kinds of operations are a top Russian military tactic and could prove decisive in a conflict. PYHTÄÄ, Finland — The young soldiers wear dark camouflage and green and black face paint to blend in with the dense forest common on NATO's eastern flank. These conscripts, members of the 3rd Jaeger Company, a unit within the Finnish Army's Pori Brigade, carry anti-tank missile launchers, large mines, and assault rifles. One soldier looks at a paper map, and another calls in instructions on the radio as they scout out recently seized enemy positions. From the nearby road, they cannot be seen. The Finnish soldiers are conducting surveillance operations, but the enemy is not real. It's part of an exercise simulating their reaction to the capture of a strategic airfield, a critical operation that's an expected element of a Russian invasion. Lively Sabre 25, which took place in southern Finland over the past few days, is an element of NATO's larger Swift Response 25 exercise. This event is a series of joint military drills across the Baltic and Nordic regions designed to facilitate cooperation among allies and deter what they see as a serious Russian threat to the east. During Lively Sabre, a "red team," consisting of Polish airborne forces and Finnish troops, executed a tactical air landing operation at an airstrip in the forest. Paratroopers rapidly seized a strategically located airfield, aiming to hold it and bring in the infantry and heavy weapons to launch a lightning assault from it; Russia used similar tactics in a close battle outside Kyiv in 2022. The 3rd Jaeger Company was part of a "blue team" made up entirely of Finnish troops whose mission was to contain the so-called airhead and then mass strength to retake the site — an operation where time is of the essence. Finland doesn't have an airbone brigade in its military structure, so the exercise is a good opportunity to train on battling paratroopers and learn from skilled professionals — in this case, the Polish forces — how to prepare for a tactical air landing, set up a perimeter around the airfield, and defend the site. Establishing an airhead is not an easy operation, especially in an era of widespread sensors and sophisticated air defenses that can detect and destroy an assault force before it lands. "It's extremely difficult," Col. Matti Honko, the commanding officer of Finland's Guard Jaeger Regiment and the director of Lively Sabre, told Business Insider on the sidelines of the exercise. "There needs to be suppression of the air defense, and there has to be air superiority. You have to be able to actually do lots of things before you can do that." Brig. Gen. Michal Strzelecki, the commander of Poland's 6th Airborne Brigade, which led the tactical air landing, said these operations have become even more difficult now than they were in past years. But having the airborne capabilities is still crucial, especially in the early phases of a conflict, when enemy air defenses aren't necessarily ready. The rapid deployment of troops could make all the difference. "Having that kind of capability is essential," Strzelecki told BI at the Pyhtää airfield. The ability to seize an airstrip and hold the position is important, as is the ability to dislodge it from under enemy control. NATO knows this because Ukraine demonstrated it three years ago, early on in its defense against Russia's full-scale invasion. Russian forces tried to capture the Hostomel airport on the outskirts of Kyiv amid their initial push to capture the Ukrainian capital city. This would have given Moscow a decisive advantage, as the Kremlin could have then airlifted more troops, artillery, and fighting vehicles to strike Kyiv from a minimal distance. Russian helicopters carrying assault troops made an initial assault, but they were met with fierce resistance from Ukraine's military. After hours of heavy fighting and counterattacks, Kyiv eventually controlled the airfield. Swift Response 25, which falls under NATO's larger series of exercises this summer, called Defender, comes as the military alliance grows increasingly concerned with Russia and its behavior across Europe, which Western officials have described as malign and aggressive. Allies, especially those along the northern and eastern flanks, like the Baltic states, are watching the Ukraine war closely. They are investing a lot in their defense capabilities by increasing their military spending, buying up weapons, and reinforcing their borders. European nations are also anxious about US reliability. Finland joined NATO just over two years ago, while Poland has been a member for more than two decades. Both share borders with Russia, so they bring an important perspective to the alliance as countries on its front lines. They are well aware of the Russian threat. Strzelecki said the Lively Sabre exercise helps Poland better integrate its forces with Finland. "Finland is a new member of the alliance, so we want to interact with them, we want to train with them, we want to share our experience and also learn from the Finnish Army," he said. "Finland has a long tradition of defending against possible aggression from their neighbor." Indeed, Russia has recently increased its military presence along its shared 830-mile-long border with Finland. Should a clash occur between NATO and Moscow, the region could become a major hot spot. Honko said Finland's accession to NATO in 2023 has already lifted the threshold of threats, and exercises like Lively Sabre are a key element of deterrence that's needed to avoid a real shooting war. "We are in the first line, but then, I think we have a very long tradition of defending our own area by ourselves, and that hasn't changed. In a way, we are a security provider, and not a security consumer," Honko said. Still, he added, "We need the alliance if the day comes, and we can deal with the problem together."
