After years of stagnation, the Navy has been able to make a comprehensive program to reconstruct its impact, logistical and exploratory capabilities. Modern mine destroyers, rocket frigates or radio-electronic combat units enter the service. There's inactive an expensive, but urgent program for the acquisition of submarines.
Navy soldiers proudly stress that this kind of military was our forpost in the North Atlantic Alliance. Since 2002, Polish ships have started operating in its permanent teams, e.g. mine defence. In 2010, a command ship against mine forces ORP ‘Contradmiral Xavery Czernicki’ became the flagship unit of the NATO Group 1 Permanent Defence Force Team.
At the same time, the sailors admit that after our accession to NATO, the modernisation needs of the native fleet were pushed aside by decision-makers for another types of troops. While fresh tanks – Leopard 2, Rosomak wheel armoured transporters and multi-guided WR-40 Langust rocket launchers, and the multi-purpose F-16 and CASA aircraft, the war fleet of its submarine combat possible had to be based, for example, on the Kobben-type submarines manufactured in the mid-1960s, and our largest ships, rocket frigates Oliver Hazard Perry, were formed in the early 1980s.
From the mediate of the first decade of the 21st century, the main MW forces have formed the 3rd Fleet of Ships from Gdynia and 8th Fleet of defence of the Coast from Świnoujście, which supports the Naval Aviation Brigade. 10 years ago, the base of the 3 FO was the Submarine Squadron (armed with 4 Kobben-type vessels and Kilo-type vessels), as well as the Battleship Squadron with 2 Oliver Hazard Perry-type rocket frigates, a corvette for combating submarines ORP “Kashub” and Orkan-type rocket ships. In addition, the 3 FOs included the Support Ship Squadron and the Reconnaissance Ship Group. The possible of 8 FOW was primarily based on 2 trawler squadrons and the Transport and Mine Ship Squadron, whose most modern unit was the already mentioned ORP "Contradmiral Xavera Czernicki".
We're betting on new
In the mediate of the 3rd decade of the 21st century, the Navy of Poland can no longer feel left out. "Technical modernisation plan for the period 2022–2035" provides not only for replacing obsolete vessels with fresh generation ships, but besides for introducing fresh types of ships into service.
The plan to modernise this kind of Polish army includes many programs concerning various types of units: ‘Orca’ — submarines; ‘Cormoran’ — Min destroyers; ‘Delfin’ — Radio-electronic combat ships; ‘Hydrograph’ — hydrographic vessel; ‘Rescue’ — rescue ships; ‘Supply’ — fuel tankers; ‘Holator’ — auxiliary units. The last on the list, although many experts would list it first, is "Meter", a rocket frigate acquisition program.
The program, which we can number to full realized, is “The Hunter”. Between 2020 and 2021, MWRP introduced six multi-tasking B86 tugs into service. The second of the modernisation programmes carried out in fresh years shows, as in lens, the problems the navy has faced in fresh decades. Of course, the Gawron Corvette program, which was closed in 2012 with an unfinished construction of the first unit of this class and the decision to transform it into patrol vessel ORP ‘Sleak’. After 7 years, these plans were implemented and “Slazak” went to the 3 FO Battleship Squadron.
Work wre
In the implementation phase are the programmes “Kormoran”, “Delfin” and “Meaner”. The first phase of the "Kormorana", i.e. the construction of 3 Kormoran II mine destroyers, was carried out in 2017–2023 – the first unit, or ORP "Kormoran", entered service in 2017 and the ORP "Albatros" and "Meva" – in 2022. Meanwhile, in June 2022, the Armed Forces Agency signed with the Shipbuilding Repair Company for the second phase of the task and the construction of another 3 mine destroyers. “The Swallow” was launched in June 2024, “The Rybitwa” is under construction, and the work on “The Cchaika” is to begin in 2025.
The second of the current programmes is "Delfin". The construction of the first electronic designation unit, or ORP "Jerzy Różycki", began on 27 April 2023. Interestingly, the management of the MON made the decision that 2 units of this kind would be built in parallel and would enter service in 2027. Thus, the construction of the ORP "Henryk Zygalski" began already in late 2023.
Breakthrough possibilities
Experts have no uncertainty that the breakthrough programme for the MWRP and the Polish armory is ‘Meaner’. For the native fleet – due to the fact that it has never had rocket frigates in its history, and for manufacture – due to the fact that so far there has been no unit of specified capabilities and capabilities in Polish shipyards.
According to the assumptions, swordsmen are to be able to fight all types of aircraft (representing a rocket anti-aircraft frigate), as well as maneuvering and ballistic missiles. Ships will be armed with 76-millimeter OTO Melara Super fast Strales cannon, 2 35 mm OSU-35K caliber cannons powered by programmable ammunition, remotely and manually controlled large caliber device guns, as well as Mk-41 VLS rocket launchers. Importantly, Sea Ceptor CAMM anti-aircraft missiles can not only be fired from Mk-41, which will constitute basic rocket weapons of swordfish, but besides water-to-earth missiles, if we get them in the future.
The construction of the first prototype swordfish began on 16 August 2023. According to the schedule, the unit is scheduled to be launched in 2026 and enter service in 2029.
In anticipation
Modernization programs, which have not yet gone beyond the analytical-conceptive phase, are several, but the most crucial of them are the "Orka", or the acquisition of fresh submarines. The current capacity of the MWRP in this area is low – we have only one, built in the 1980s by the Orp Eagle.
The first marketplace consultations announced in July 2023, which replaced the method dialog any time ago, are a form of meetings with the industry, which has the chance to present its products to the military, were presented to 11 entities from around the world. MON could choose from manufacture leaders – Korean Hyundai dense Industries, French Naval Group, Spanish Navanttia, Italian Fincantieri, German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems and Swedish Saab Kockums. Unfortunately, it is not only unknown with which companies the Ministry of Defence decided to proceed the talks eventually, but besides there is no information about the expression in which we want to get ships – whether this will be an open tender for all volunteers, or whether 1 company to be commissioned by the government will be designated.
Look at security
The carried out plan to modernise the MWRP allows us to hope that, at the beginning of the 4th decade of the 21st century, our maritime safety will be at a much higher level than it has been in this century. The biggest thanks to politicians who for years did not realize that Poland's safety is besides built through the prism of seas and oceans. With the construction of this awareness, the decision-makers included funds in the defence budget to buy fresh ships. And I hope it stays that way.
