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Federation of Exercises codenamed IRON DEFENDER-25 - One Goal, Many Forces, Shared Readiness

Poland - Ministry of National Defence

26.08.2025

The Federation of Exercises codenamed IRON DEFENDER-25 is one of the largest and most significant training undertakings of the Polish Armed Forces planned for 2025. These defense-oriented maneuvers will be conducted on land, in the air, and at sea in the Baltic region. Around 30,000 soldiers from all branches of the Polish Armed Forces and NATO allied countries, equipped with approximately 600 units of military hardware, will jointly test their ability to deter and effectively defend the territory of Poland.

The main goal of the exercise is to verify the interoperability of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland in a multi-domain environment. Training will also focus on:

• improving operational-tactical solutions within regional defense plans,
• tactical integration with the National Deterrence and Defense Program EASTERN SHIELD,
• employing new strike and reconnaissance platforms in tactical operations.

Lessons learned from the ongoing war in Ukraine will also be incorporated into the training.

Particular emphasis will be placed on the integration of land, air, sea, and cyberspace operations, which directly contributes to strengthening NATO's deterrence posture and operational capabilities.

The exercises will take place both at training centers such as OSPWL Orzysz, OSPWL Dęba, and CPSP Ustka, as well as in so-called ad hoc terrain outside designated training areas. Troop movements will be carried out using a combined road-and-rail method. This means that military convoys—both wheeled and tracked vehicles—will also move along public roads across different regions of the country. As a result, the entire territory of Poland will be actively engaged in the exercises, not only selected areas.

The 18th Mechanized Division will provide the main forces, deploying three brigades - the 1st Armored Brigade, the 21st Podhale Rifles Brigade, and the 19th Mechanized Brigade - as well as a logistics regiment and a command battalion. They will take part in the federation's largest exercise, IRON GATE-25. The federation will also include a command-post exercise involving the 1st Armored Division and the U.S. Army V Corps.

Other Polish components - the Air Force, Navy, Territorial Defense Forces, and Special Forces - will also participate. NATO allied troops stationed in Poland, including the multinational battlegroup under the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) framework, will join as well.

The Federation of Exercises IRON DEFENDER-25 is not only a test of interoperability and combat effectiveness, but also a manifestation of the transformation of the Polish Armed Forces, which are steadily enhancing their defense capabilities based on modern equipment and technologies. The exercises will feature newly acquired weapons systems and vehicles, introduced into service in recent years, used both for training and for testing their operational performance under conditions close to real combat.

The maneuvers will cover the full spectrum of operations across the modern multi-domain battlespace - from classic land operations to activities in cyberspace. The overall objective is not only to strengthen the defense capabilities of Poland and NATO, but also to demonstrate readiness for collective defense and deterrence of any potential adversary in the context of current geopolitical challenges.

The Federation of Exercises IRON DEFENDER-25 is not directed against any state. Its purpose is to demonstrate unity, professionalism, and the consistent enhancement of NATO allies' combat capabilities. It also confirms that the Polish Armed Forces are undergoing a dynamic transformation, strengthening their defense potential, and forming a key element of the security system in Central and Eastern Euro.