| Polish Territorial Defence Forces | |
|---|---|
| Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej | |
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| Founded | 1 January 2017 |
| Country |  Poland |
| Allegiance | Polish Armed Forces |
| Type | light infantry |
| Size | 40,000+ (2023)[1] |
| Motto(s) | Always ready, always close |
| Commanders | |
| Commander of Territorial Defence Forces | gen. bryg Krzysztof Stańczyk[2] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag[3] | &sq=&lang=&file=File:PL_territorial_defence_force_flag_IIIRP.svg) |
The Territorial Defence Force – TDF (Polish: Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej – WOT) is the fifth military branch of the Polish Armed Forces, following Land Forces, Air Force, Navy and Special Forces.[4] The force is made up of professional and part-time volunteer soldiers, forming part of the country's defence and deterrence system. Formed in 2016, it had reached 24,000 personnel by July 2019,[5][6] and was slated to reach a size of around 53,000 personnel in 17 light infantry brigades by 2021.[7] The creation of the Polish TDF relates to the reforms in the Baltic states' Territorial Defence Forces to provide response during the early stages of a hybrid conflict.[8]
- ^ "Nowe bataliony. WOT liczy już ponad 24 tys. (New TDF battalions. Number of military personnel more than 24 000)". 9 December 2019.
- ^ "Gen. Kukuła już nie dowodzi WOT. Znamy następcę". 5 January 2023.
- ^ "Ustawa z dnia 19 lutego 1993 r. o znakach Sił Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej" [Act of 19 February 1993 on the symbols of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland] (PDF). isap.sejm.gov.pl (in Polish). Internet System of Legal Acts. pp. 24–28. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
- ^ Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland (10 May 2017). "Territorial Defence Forces". Official website of the Ministry of National Defence of the Republic of Poland. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
- ^ "Nowe bataliony WOT (New TDF battalions) - MilMag.pl". 6 September 2019.
- ^ "Trzeci rok szkolenia 3. Podkarpackiej Brygady WOT - Defence24". 22 January 2019.
- ^ "Rośnie stan osobowy Wojsk Obrony Terytorialnej - Defence24". 6 October 2018.
- ^ Piotr, Szymański (20 March 2015). "The Baltic states' Territorial Defence Forces in the face of hybrid threats". The Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW). Retrieved 6 July 2017.