The NATO 2030 Agenda Needs to Include Strengthening U.S.-Polish Defense Relationship (From RealClearDefense)

Earlier this week, NATO’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, launched a new initiative, NATO 2030, to strengthen the Alliance and prepare it for new challenges over the next several decades. NATO 2030 could not come at a more important moment for the Alliance. The Alliance’s geographic, demographic, economic and technological circumstances have all changed significantly over the past three decades. One element of this new security environment is the growing importance of Poland in NATO’s defense strategy. It is important to help that country improve its military capabilities as part of the shift of NATO’s focus eastward. Poland is already acquiring U.S. Patriot air and missile defense systems and has signed an agreement to purchase F-35A stealth fighters. In addition, Washington and Warsaw should explore the possibility of Poland acquiring U.S. M-1 tanks to replace its fleet of aging, Soviet-era armored platforms in the context of the NATO 2030 effort. I have written about this subject here.