Poland’s Powerful New Frigate Marks Major Shift For Its Navy
The first of three Miecznik-class frigates adds 8,000 nautical miles of range and 128 missiles as Poland expands naval deterrence.
- On Thursday, the Polish Navy launched the frigate ORP Wicher into the Gulf of Gdansk, marking its largest surface combatant since the interwar period, during a ceremony attended by Polish President Karol Nawrocki.
- This vessel is the first of three under the Project 106 Miecznik program, a modernization effort designed to address growing Russian threats in the strategic Baltic Sea region.
- Based on Babcock International's Arrowhead 140 design, the frigates feature a 7,700-ton displacement, 28-knot speed, and 138-meter length, with armament including CAMM-MR missiles and a core crew of approximately 120 personnel.
- Following Wicher's expected 2029 commissioning, the second ship ORP Burza is set for 2030, while the keel for the third vessel ORP Huragan will be laid in late 2026 with commissioning planned for 2031.
- "Within the PGZ Group, we are implementing projects of strategic importance to national security," said Adam Leszkiewicz, CEO of PGZ, as Poland retains an option with Babcock to build five additional ships.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia will host a christening and naming ceremony for ORP Wicher – the first of three new-generation frigates being built under the "Miecznik" program. President Karol Nawrocki, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, and representatives of the Polish Navy will attend the ceremony. In the morning, the Prime Minister met with workers who participated in the construction of the ORP Wicher frigate. "We've all been waiting for this mo…
The Polish press did not hide its enthusiasm by recounting the inauguration, on Wednesday, August 12, of its new frigate, named "Wicher" at the military shipyard in Gdynia, in the midst of a renaissance. A potential aggressor will think twice about it before proceeding to the act," said Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Karol Nawrocki and Donald Tusk attended the christening of the Miecznik-class warship. During the ceremony, the president and prime minister were filmed behaving toward each other.
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