WARSAW, July 5 (Xinhua) -- The Polish cabinet approved a bill on Thursday that changes the Polish armed forces' command and control structure, the Polish Defence Ministry said.
The draft increases the role of the chief of the general staff, who will be the superior of the general and operational commanders of the armed forces as well as of the Support Inspectorate chief.
The commander of the Territorial Defence Force will remain under the direct command of the defence minister until the recently-established force becomes fully operational.
Prepared by the Defence Ministry and the president-supervised National Security Bureau, the bill is the first stage of the Polish Army's command and control structural reform. Later on, separate commands for branches of the armed forces are to be reinstated, thus reversing a 2014 reform carried out by the previous government.
According to the bill, in time of war the chief of staff will assume command over Poland's armed forces until a supreme commander is appointed. The chief of staff will also be responsible for planning the strategic use of armed forces, preparation and training of armed forces, participation in foreign missions and offering advice to the Defence Ministry's top officials.
