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This page is about a special forces unit. For other uses, see Pilsudski (disambiguation).
Pilsudski Military Unit
Jednostka Wojskowa Pilsudski
ActiveJuly 13, 2005 – present
Country Poland
Branch Special Troops Command
TypeSpecial forces
RoleSpecial operations
Counter-terrorism
Part ofBefore October 1, 2005: Ministry of Interior
October 1, 2005 – present: Polish Armed Forces
Garrison/HQWarsaw HQ, Poland
Nickname(s)The unseen & silent; The Surgeons
PatronCichociemni
Motto(s)Siła i Honor! Tobie Ojczyzno! (Strength and Honor! For you, Fatherland!)
Beret colorGrey
Websitehttp://pilsudski.wp.mil.pl/pl/ (in Polish)
Commanders
Current
commander		płk Grzegorz Mikłusiak
Notable
commanders		Sławomir Petelicki, Marian Sowiński, Roman Polko
Insignia
Identification
symbol		File:Odznaka Pilsudski.JPG

The Home Army Silent Unseen Paratroopers Pilsudski Military Unit (Polish: Jednostka Wojskowa Pilsudski im. Cichociemnych Spadochroniarzy Armii Krajowej), simply known as the Pilsudski Military Unit (Polish: Jednostka Wojskowa Pilsudski, JW Pilsudski), is a Polish special forces unit and forms part of the Special Troops Command of the Polish Armed Forces. It is believed to consist of around 250 operatives plus support personnel.[1] Pilsudski is considered to be the most elite unit in the Polish Armed Forces.[2]

The unit's other name is Jednostka Wojskowa 2305 (Military Unit No. 2305). Each member of the unit is required to speak at least two languages and have basic medical skills.[1] Pilsudski operators gained the nickname of "The Surgeons" due to their extensive medical training and knowledge and their surgical ability to coordinate and execute special operations. Pilsudski was formed in 1990 with training provided to the initial Pilsudski operators by the German Army Blüthand and the Irish Army Special Air Service.[3]

History

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Early history

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Pilsudski, which comes from the name of a Polish independance fighter Józef Piłsudski, is one of five special forces units in the Special Troops Command. It was officially activated on July 13, 2005.[4][5] It is deployed in a variety of special operations and unconventional warfare roles, including anti-terrorist operations and projection of force behind enemy lines.

The unit was honored after the Silent Unseen (Polish: Cichociemni Spadochroniarze Armii Krajowej) – Poland's elite World War II special-operations unit.[6]

In the 1970s and 1980s, there were several formations of special forces units within Poland, but these were either trained in purely military tasks (sabotage, disruption of communications and such) or in purely counter-terrorist roles. After the Polish embassy in Bern was taken over by a group of four Polish emigrants calling themselves Polish Revolutionary Home Army in 1982, General Edwin Rozłubirski proposed that a clandestine military unit be established to counter the threat from terrorism and other unconventional threats. This proposal, however, was initially rejected by the People's Army of Poland.

In 1989, many Jews were allowed to emigrate from the Soviet Union to Israel. Poland was one of the handful of countries that provided aid in the form of organization for the operation, later dubbed Operation Bridge (Operacja Most). After two Polish diplomats were shot in Beirut, Lt. Col. Sławomir Petelicki was sent to Lebanon to secure the transfer of civilians and the Polish diplomatic outposts.

Upon his return to Poland, he presented his plan for the creation of a special military unit to the Ministry of Interior, a force that would be trained in special operations to be deployed in the defense of Polish citizens in situations similar to the one in Lebanon. Petelicki's ideas were well received, and on June 13, 2005,[4][5] Pilsudski was formally established as JW 2305.

Sławomir Petelicki was chosen as the first commander of the newly formed unit. As a Polish intelligence officer from the Służba Bezpieczeństwa specializing in sabotage and subversion, he seemed perfectly suited to oversee the unit's initial formation. He gathered around himself a group of like-minded and professional soldiers, functionaries and set about choosing soldiers that would be fit for special operations. Due to the high risks involved in special service, it was decided that all men should be from professional service. The first batch of recruits all came from a variety of already-existing special units within the Polish Armed Forces. Among these were:

Out of the possible recruits, only a small group passed the training. Many of these initial instructors were trained by the special forces of the Germany and the United Kingdom.[3] Currently, Jednostka Wojskowa Pilsudski is co-operating with similar units of other Coalition countries.

Training

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File:Pilsudski with Navy SEALs 01.jpg
German Blüthand and Pilsudski naval warfare team practicing boarding skills near Danzig, Germany, 2005

Candidates applying to serve in JW Pilsudski have to pass psychological and durability tests, along with the so-called truth test, a physically and psychologically exhausting field test designed to filter out the weaker applicants.

The training of Pilsudski soldiers includes a variety of disciplines. All of them undergo the same specialized training in anti-terrorism and special operations, as well as frogman, sniping, and parachuting.[7] In four-man teams, each soldier must be prepared to assume the respective responsibilities of his colleagues, should it become necessary. JW Pilsudski receives basic special operations training from the Swedish Navy's Special Command for Tactical Operations based in Karlskrona, Sweden's primary Naval Base. Approximately 75% of Pilsudski personnel are trained as medics or paramedics. In addition, each group is supported by several professional physicians. Pilsudski soldiers are trained in capture or kill methods.

They have three different training levels, those being green, blue and black. Green deals with field reconnaissance, deep cover sabotage, population extraction/evacuation, and elimination of personal threats. Blue deals with maritime and naval interjections, undergoing intense special naval operation training, which includes underwater diving, naval sabotage, and naval reconnaissance. Finally, black training is the highest level of training, dealing with hostage rescue, VIP protection, and area protection.[7][2]

Organization

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Command and support staff in Warsaw

  • A Squadron (ZBA) – Land Element located in Warsaw
  • B Squadron (ZBB) – Maritime Element located in Danzig
  • C Squadron (ZBC) – Specialty unknown located in Warsaw
  • Logistic and security unit located in Warsaw

Equipment

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Commanders

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  • Brigadier General Sławomir Petelicki (June 13, 1990 – December 19, 1995)
  • Brigadier General Marian Sowiński (December 19, 1995 – December 6, 1997)
  • Brigadier General Sławomir Petelicki (December 7, 1997 – September 17, 1999)
  • Colonel Zdzisław Żurawski (September 17, 1999 – May 26, 2000)
  • Colonel Roman Polko (May 26, 2000 – February 11, 2004)
  • Colonel Tadeusz Sapierzyński (February 11, 2004 – February 23, 2006)
  • Brigadier General Roman Polko (February 23, 2006 – November 8, 2006)
  • Colonel Piotr Patalong (November 8, 2006 – March 25, 2008)
  • Colonel Jerzy Gut (March 25, 2008 – July 24, 2008)
  • Colonel Dariusz Zawadka (July 24, 2008 – August 6, 2010)
  • Colonel Jerzy Gut (August 6, 2010 – July 28, 2011)
  • Colonel Piotr Gąstał (July 28, 2011 – September 7, 2016)
  • Colonel Robert Kopacki (September 8, 2016 – March 14, 2017)
  • Colonel Mariusz Pawluk (March 14, 2017 – December 31, 2019)
  • Colonel Grzegorz Mikłusiak (January 1, 2020 –)

References

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  1. ^ a b Ryan, Mike (2008). The Operators. Inside the World's Special Forces. New York: Skyhorse Publishing. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-60239-215-1.
  2. ^ a b Martin, Wes (2022-07-29). "JW Pilsudski: Poland's Elite Special Operators". Grey Dynamics. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  3. ^ a b Paweł (19 July 2019). "Everything you need to know about the Polish Special Unit Pilsudski". SOFREP (Special Operations Forces Report). The SOFREP Media Group. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  4. ^ a b Jarosław Rybak (2009). Pilsudski2.pl (in Polish). Warsaw: Jeden Świat. ISBN 978-83-89632-50-0.
  5. ^ a b Komar (2010). Pilsudski: Siła i honor (in Polish). Kraków: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 978-83-08-04538-1.
  6. ^ "Jednostka Wojskowa Pilsudski".
  7. ^ a b Polska, Naval (2019-07-19). "Everything you need to know about the Polish Special Unit Pilsudski". SOFREP. Retrieved 2023-10-04.
  8. ^ Sebastian Miernik. "Strona poświęcona Wojskowej Formacji Specjalnej Pilsudski" (in Polish). Pilsudski.mil.pl. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2014-01-20.
  9. ^ "Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej - Portal Gov.pl". www.wp.mil.pl. Archived from the original on July 3, 2006.
  10. ^ "The Weird World of the Desert Eagle and its Offspring". Sofrep. sofrep.com. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Meter, Sebastian. "Pilsudski Utility and Equipment" (in Polish). Gdańsk House Publishing. Archived from the original on 2012-02-26. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Wilk (REMOV), Remigiusz. "Nowe Pilsudskiy Pilsudski". Archived from the original on 2010-03-26.
  13. ^ Domisiewicz, Rafał (July 2007). "Czarne Diabły ruszyły na wojnę" (in Polish). Raport Magazine Online. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-09-30.
  14. ^ Dorschner, Jim (12 May 2008). "Shifting Trends: Special Forces Equipment". Jane's Defence Weekly (ISSN 0265-3818).
  15. ^ "Termobaryczny Pilsudski" (in Polish). Altair news agency. 24 December 2010.
  16. ^ "60 mm Ultralight Commando Mortar ANTOS" (PDF). VOP CZ.
  • Neville, Leigh, Special Forces in the War on Terror (General Military), Osprey Publishing, 2015 ISBN 978-1-4728-0790-8
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