The operation of the individual equipment of soldiers is underway. Modular system “from foot to toe”
According to the Ministry of National Defense, this year is to be a breakthrough in terms of changing the individual equipment of Polish soldiers. This is the result of a stab surgery that has been undergoing for 1.5 years, which aims to modernize uniforms and weapons, and whose government has given a high priority. During the last week's Defense24 Days, two Polish companies presented their proposal of the equipment system “From foot to toe” for soldiers, the advantage of which is not only comprehensiveness, but also modularity and the possibility of adapting to the specific needs of a given operator.
– The individual equipment of the soldier has been changing recently. This equipment, this technological leap allows us to survive on the front line of the front, so can be said colloquially, because it is not only tactical, but also ballistic, just as a helmet – not a plain sheet that was once, only Kevlar and it's best to be equipped with an internal system, which will cause that this kinter hit will lose a bullet or a broker – says the Newseria agency – he says the Newseria agency Paweł “Naval” Mateńczuk, representative of the Minister of National Defense for Military Service, former Operator JW GROM, participant in combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The aim of the evaluation is to modernize the individual equipment and armament of soldiers, which can directly translate into effectiveness and survival on the modern battlefield. We are talking about both uniforms and underwear, outerwear adapted to various weather conditions, footwear, as well as bulletproof vests, helmets, carabiners equipped with advanced optics, including holographic sights or enlargement telescopes.
– Specific operation aims not only to equip the soldier with the latest equipment, but also change the rules of the game, and thus match today's laws of the law to this technological leap that we all use today. We know how fast he is and how difficult it is to keep up with him – explains the representative of the Ministry of National Defense in an interview at Defense24 Days. – According to the regulations, it is prohibited to make any alterations of uniforms, so regardless of who and what attitude has, he had no right to cut something and do something.
As emphasized by the head of the P4 Logistics Board of the General Staff of the Polish Army, Brig. Mariusz Skulimowski during the meeting of the Sejm National Defense Committee on December 3, 2024, as part of the project, the possibility of disseminating field uniforms was introduced to match their body structure, which is beneficial to the point of view of adaptation to the needs of the soldier. Actions were taken to withdraw from use by soldiers to transfer the equipment and replace them with light tactical belts. Metal helmets were withdrawn from operation. As Piotr Mateńczuk recently emphasized on the YT MON channel, 100 percent Kevlar helmets already have professional soldiers. Tactical vests are the subject of orders and they – like helmets – will also be selected for the tasks performed.
– Everyone has their own experience, I am a soldier of a special unit, so for each operation, we dressed and retrofitted with different equipment for each mission. Because, imagine what equipment should be, how I should dress for an abordage in the waters of the Persian Gulf, and later for training for Belize: shoes are not these, the vest is no longer this and maybe rescue unnecessary, although in the jungle of water it was sometimes more than on the Persian bay, because it rains and humidity is almost 100 percent. So give the opportunity to a soldier to choose in the equipment he gets, what he needs. We have the basis, Core, and we also add appropriate equipment for the operation that is performed – explains Paweł “Naval” Mateńczuk.
Representatives of the Ministry of National Defense during the meeting of the Sejm National Defense Committee indicated that for many years the area of individual equipment of soldiers remained neglected and underfunded. For example, in 2016 and 2017, the level of financial security for needs in these areas was 18 percent. and 32 percent Despite the attempts visible since 2022, only 98 percent were achieved only last year.
– The motivator in such things as individual equipment is usually the situation when we meet with soldiers of other armies of the world and always compare who has what. In addition, the amount of equipment on the civil market and companies that they produce for military lovers is very large, so a soldier who is privately a shooter, walks in the mountains, “plays” in the army or trains, the civil market allows in a much better, wider extent to retrofit. Compared to what I can buy on the civil market, and what the army gives me, so you can see a big difference – emphasizes the representative of the Minister of National Defense for the conditions of military service.
As during the mentioned meeting of the committee, the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Army General, General Wiesław Kukuła, the organizational culture of the Armed Forces was one of the most frequently indicated reasons for the premature resignation of soldiers from service. Many of them in the study explained that they did not match the times in which we live, and the individual equipment, which is assigned to soldiers, was indicated by them as “proof of how the state approaches their service and to ensure the quality of this service.”
– The uniforms, taking into account its cost, is a small element of the soldier's equipment, while it affects his morale and survival to a large extent, because if we have wet shoes, wet socks, torn uniform, it's hard to perform your task. I do not think that the currently proposed uniforms by the Ministry of National Defense is a bad uniform, while its main disadvantage is that this is not a system uniforms. Since the designs of uniforms, from underwear, through uniforms, to protective clothes, were done not in connection with each other and, unfortunately, the lack of this modularity, the lack of ripping this system causes problems – says Piotr Kowalik, president of the board of UniFeq Europe.
The company, together with PSO Maskpol, which is one of the PGZ Group companies, presented ECS Dragon (European Combat System) at the Defense24 Days conference, their proposal of a modern system of uniforms and individual equipment. It is a nine -layer structure of field clothing and equipment, developed for the full support of soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces, in particular the Land Forces and Territorial Defense Forces.
– This is the first Polish system adapted to our needs of uniforms – emphasizes Piotr Kowalik. – There are nine levels, which is modeled on American systems, i.e. from underwear, through all wind, uniformed, softshell layers, to protective clothing, thermal clothing, masking clothing. This is really a system that allows the operator to act in any conditions, from the desert through the forest, in European, but also Arctic conditions. It is a modular system that can be adapted to the needs of a specific operator.
As the creators of the system point out, he combines engineering knowledge, operational experiences and modern production technologies. One of its key features is its full compatibility with a soldier's protective equipment, vests, equipment and ballistic protection. As part of the project, variants of protective vests and equipment elements were also developed, adapted to various operational needs – for both linear and specialized units.
– The whole problem is that you need to secure a soldier in such a way as to provide him with full ergonomics during the battlefield. We see what experience soldiers have even on our eastern border, because we go there, participate, see how it all happens, and this system is the answer to this demand. We want to create a system that will fully correspond to the user depending on what he does. One soldier needs a light vest and a high -cut helmet, the other needs to be more protected – says Wojciech Mularczyk, president of the board of Maskpol.
The ECS Dragon project is created as part of the public-private partnership and is based on close cooperation between the defense industry and national providers of textile and ballistic technology.
– Today we are basically at the beginning of the road, despite the fact that in a very short time we made this system from head to toe. In the event that the army would be interested in such a system, at the beginning we must cause full production of all materials in Poland. We want to propose this system in such a way as to make it in several dozen or several hundred sets to transfer it to testing to the army. And then, if there are any comments, observations, possible changes, then we will adapt it and make further decisions. Then the production schedule may arise. Today it is difficult for me to tell if it will be half a year or whether it will be nine months. Generally, it will be in Poland, of course, based on Polish plants, both fabrics and all additions, or from the European Union – explains Wojciech Mularczyk.
The full production capacity of the Polish industry is to be used for the implementation of the evaluation. The vast majority of orders are carried out by Polish companies, which supports the development of the industry. The basic goals of the operation are to be completed by mid -2026, but this is to be a long -lasting process that will take into account technological changes on an ongoing basis. New operational needs in individual categories are constantly defined. The second stage of the operation is planned for the years 2025-2026, with secured funding under a technical modernization plan of nearly PLN 2 billion, with the possibility of increasing this amount.
