• Poland plans to build a 500,000-strong military force by 2030.
• The force will include 300,000 regular personnel and 200,000 high-readiness reservists.
• Poland's 2026 defence allocation is PLN 200 billion, with over half assigned to equipment.
• Germany and Türkiye retain advantages in fiscal depth, aerospace, and industrial scale.

Poland's military expansion may signal a shift in European military balance, but it could also create a numerically enlarged force with lagging readiness and industrial support. The country's success will depend on converting expenditure into sovereign production and sustainable readiness, which suggests a challenging path ahead.