Polish Territorial Defence Forces | |
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Wojska Obrony Terytorialnej | |
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Founded | 1 January 2017 |
Country | ![]() |
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] | ![]() |
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]