Poland's JWK Special Forces in France

A French Twin Otter taxiing to pick up French SF and Polish JWK military freefallers [© Bob Morrison]

Poland’s elite JWK (Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów) sent a Special Forces military freefall team to Camp de Souge in France last month, reports Bob Morrison.

Every two years the highly specialist SOFINS defence expo is held at the French Special Forces base at Camp de Souge and throughout the event military freefall teams and their guests take the opportunity to jump from an Air Special Forces DHC-6 300 Twin Otter. In 2023 a contingent of Belgian Special Forces joined their French SF colleagues and in 2025 the guest unit invited to jump was from Poland’s elite JWK (Jednostka Wojskowa Komandosów or Military Commando Unit).

A JWK team (there were actually four pax on each jump) strolls out to await the aircraft on the side of the Camp de Souge runway [© Bob Morrison]

Final preparations prior to a freefall jump ~ note the JWK anchor and bayonet recognition flash and national flag plus the inert weapons [© Bob Morrison]

Polish JWK with French SF colleagues watch one of the previous teams exiting the aircraft [© Bob Morrison]

I was allowed the privilege of spending some time photographing the JWK team at Camp de Souge over two days, including on the DZ (drop zone) as they landed and in the ‘packing shed’, where they individually repacked their canopies after each jump. The aircraft they used for the jumps was one of two DHC-6 300 Twin Otters permanently assigned to Escadron de Transport 3/61 ‘Poitou’ of the French Air Special Forces, which is specifically configured for HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) military freefall parachuting.

A JWK team waits to board and then follows French SF colleagues onto the aircraft ~ the orange helmet denotes a tandem jumper [© Bob Morrison]

The French Air Special Forces DHC-6 300 Twin Otter prepares for take-off and lands to pick up two more teams [© Bob Morrison]

The JWK contingent parachuted in sticks of four either before or after a French Special Forces team on separate passes; some of the French SF carried tandem passengers to give non-qualified military personnel a HALO experience. Two of the four Poles on each of the jumps carried inert assault rifles and the other two carried containers.

A stick of four JWK freefallers, two with flags, over Camp de Souge [© Bob Morrison]

Two of the Polish team glided in with National and JWK flags [© Bob Morrison]

Gliding in for a perfect landing with container (rucksack) hanging below on a short strop [© Bob Morrison]

Unlike military static line Paratroopers, each freefaller is responsible for gathering up and repacking their own canopy [© Bob Morrison]

As JWK leave the drop zone the Twin Otter lands to pick up the next two teams, Camp de Souge, April 2024
[© Bob Morrison]

Poland’s JWK, which is believed to have a strength of at least 1500 personnel, comprises a Headquarters & Logistics unit and four Sabre Squadrons plus integral Security, Information Support and Training units. Given the Komandosów designation thirty years ago, in 1995, JWK carries the traditions of the Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa), which was the main organised resistance movement in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War Two, and of the wartime 10 (Inter-Allied) Commando of the British Army which had a large Polish contingent.

JWK team leaving the drop zone to repack their parachutes, Camp de Souge, April 2024 [© Bob Morrison]

The canopy ‘packing shed’ at Camp de Souge [© Bob Morrison]

Polish JWK operator repacking his parachute for the next freefall insertion at Camp de Souge in France
[© Bob Morrison]

The six Special Forces / Special Operations Forces units (Jednostka Wojskowa simply means Military Unit) under Poland’s Special Forces Command are:-