Quote:
Originally Posted by Tegyrius
How were the Poles fixed for transport aircraft? Would they have ever had the lift for a combat drop of all four battalions (without relying on Soviet support)?
- C.
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As @Nyrond24 explained, helicopters were the method of insertion for 6 ABD, but 12 Antonov An-26 were fielded by Poland as well as numerous An-2. But that was that.
@Raellus
They could of course recall veterans, but it comes at a cost. First of all: As I explained, there were no airborne battalions to reconstitute, so new battalions formed would be new battalions indeed, with no weapons - especially heavy - available, unless pilfered from other units or newly produced. Second, there would be hardly any officers available. A battalion needs warrant officers and commissioned officers in a good number. Those don't get retired after conscription service, but have a career. Reassigning them from somewhere else, means crosstraining them and likely not getting the best.
But the biggest question would be: Why? A tenser atmosphere in international security isn't well countered by adding completely new battalions that never existed and re-drafting older personnel into it. These "old guards" are out of shape and hardly motivated to do underpaid, hard work once more. If one recalls reserves in such an environment, one mobilizes a powerful force - i. e. an armored or mechanized division - or, in case of Pact militaries, a border guard brigade. They pack more punch, are harder to kill and have their equipment in storage.