7th Coastal Defense Brigade

The Polish 7th Pomeranian Coastal Defence Brigade is a mechanized infantry brigade of the Polish Army (based at Słupsk).

It was formed in 2001 from the 7th Pomeranian Mechanized Brigade (of the 8th Coastal Defence Division). Now it is a brigade of the 12th Mechanized Division based at Szczecin. It bears traditions of the disbanded 7th Coastal Defence Division (known as the Blue Berets), previously themselves the 23rd Landing Division (pl:23 Dywizja Desantowa) from 1958–63, therefore it is sometimes referred to the marines of Poland. However, as of 2007 there are no plans by the Polish Army to create an active marine unit. Therefore the 7th Brigade carries out only limited-scale exercises of amphibious assaults.

It consists of the following subunits:

• 7th Coastal Defense Brigade in Słupsk
  • Command Battalion in Słupsk
  • 1st Mechanised Battalion in Lębork with BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles
  • 2nd Mechanised Battalion in Słupsk with BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles
  • 3rd Mechanised Battalion in Trzebiatów with BWP-1 infantry fighting vehicles
  • Artillery Group with 2S1 Gvozdika 122mm self-propelled howitzers
  • Anti-aircraft Group with Hibneryt anti-aircraft systems and Grom surface-to-air missiles
  • Reconnaissance Company
  • Engineer Company
  • Logistic Battalion

References

• Polish Armed Forces (WP), 7th Coastal Defence Brigade