Keep our news free from ads and paywalls by making a donation to support our work!
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and is published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Poland has launched new combat uniforms for its army. It is the first time that the designs have been updated in 33 years, and also the first time that they include a version specially created for women, who now make up around 16% of soldiers.
“A soldier’s safety and comfort during service are paramount,” said defence minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, announcing the new uniforms, which have been undergoing testing by various branches of the military,
“[They are] adapted to the needs of women and men serving in the Polish army, because both deserve not only respect and gratitude, but also the creation of conditions that will encourage service as much as possible,” he added.
The new tactical uniform features new camouflage patterns that are intended to better reflect the colours and shadows found in natural environments, “allowing the soldier to remain invisible for as long as possible”. According to the armed forces, testing shows it provides 30% better camouflage effectiveness.
The defence ministry says that the outfits, which will be produced completely in Poland, are created from “lighter, more flexible and durable materials” than before.
The women’s version features a more “closely fitted shape” with a “choice of tops and bottoms to suit women’s figures”, allowing “greater freedom of movement”.
Wreszcie mamy mundur dedykowany dla kobiet – żołnierzy! Dzisiaj w polskiej armii 16% żołnierzy to kobiety, a Wojskach Obrony Terytorialnej to ponad 20%. Nie pozwolę nikomu obrażać i zbijać kapitału politycznego na tym, że próbuje się dyskredytować kobiety w mundurach.… pic.twitter.com/GzJOhkwgTO
— Magdalena Sobkowiak (@magdasobkowiak) October 5, 2026
“For the first time in the history of the Polish military, female soldiers will no longer have to choose the size that fits them from men’s uniforms,” said deputy defence minister Magdalena Sobkowiak.
She noted that women now make up 16% of soldiers in the army, and as much as 20% of those serving in the Territorial Defence Force (WOT), a volunteer reserve formation.
Kosiniak-Kamysz says that the new uniforms, which cost around 1,000 zloty (€228) each, will be rolled out gradually, with 7,500 delivered this year. The defence ministry recently signed an agreement with logistics giant InPost to use its parcel lockers to deliver uniforms to soldiers.
Poland has dramatically increased the size of its armed forces in recent years. NATO figures show that the number of Polish military personnel has risen from 101,600 in 2016 to an estimated 263,600 this year.
That means Poland now has the alliance’s largest armed forces in continental Europe, ahead of France (202,000), Italy (191,600) and Germany (183,200). In NATO as a whole, only the United States (1.3 million) and Turkey (395,800) have more military personnel.
Meanwhile, both the number and proportion of women serving in the armed forces have increased dramatically. In 2015, there were only 4,000 professional female soldiers in Poland, a number that has now risen to almost 37,000.
Poland has NATO’s third-largest military and the alliance’s largest in Europe, new figures show.
For more, see our full report here: https://t.co/QBBVQ9cqzS pic.twitter.com/TA34KQrJ4k
— Notes from Poland 🇵🇱 (@notesfrompoland) July 16, 2024
“Women soldiers contribute significant value to the functioning of the armed forces,” said General Wiesław Kukuła, chief of the general staff of the Polish armed forces, earlier this year.
“They successfully perform not only support tasks, but increasingly often stand alongside male soldiers in strictly combat roles,” he added. “They pilot aircraft and helicopters, serve on ships, operate missile systems, and serve in special units.”
“Their service is guided by the overarching principle that it is not gender, but physical attributes, competence and determination that define a soldier ready to succeed.”
Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.
Main image credit: MON/X
Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland. He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications, including Foreign Policy, POLITICO Europe, EUobserver and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna.
