On July 14, a “press breakfast” was held at the headquarters of PGZ-MIECZNIK in Gdynia. The Miecznik frigate program director, Cezary Cierzan, presented new information on the implementation of the program.
Unfortunately, the cost of the program was not given. The originally accepted value of about PLN 8 billion (€1.8 billion) is certain to be significantly exceeded. The reasons are the final configuration of the Integrated Combat System (ZSW in Polish) and the increase in armaments prices on world markets.
ZSW – Integrated Combat System
According to the annex, only the first frigate will receive the complete ZSW from the beginning. Follow-on ships will be built as platforms prepared to receive combat system components (“fitted for but not with”).
The first-in-class Miecznick frigate will be equipped with:
- Combat management system: CMS not yet selected, most likely to be Thales TACTICOS. 18 MOC (Mulitfunction Operator Consoles) in the combat information center (CIC) and 2 in the staff room, and a national tactical data transmission system;
- Missile systems:
- Lockheed Martin Mk 41 VLS Strike Length launcher (4 x 8) for MBDA UK Sea Ceptor surface to air missile system with CAMM missiles (up to 128 missiles using quad-pack),
- 8 Saab RBS15 Mk3E anti-ship missiles (with option to mount an additional 8);
- Artillery systems:
- 1x Leonardo 76mm Super Rapido main gun with Strales (allows the use of DART anti-air ammunition with corrected trajectory),
- 2x PIT-Radwar 35mm AM-35 (OSU-35K) close-in weapon systems (CIWS),
- 2x ZM Tarnów 12,7 mm WKM-Bm machine guns,
- 2x ZM Tarnów 12,7 mm ZSMU-1276 A3B remote-controlled armament modules;
- Torpedo system: 2x B515/2V launchers for 324mm ASW torpedoes (supplier not yet selected);
- Sensor systems:
- Sea Master 410 multifunction radar,
- NS58 radar,
- STIR 1.2 EO Mk2 fire control system,
- TSA 6000 interrogator,
- TSC 4000 transponder of IFF (all the above by Thales),
- 2x PIT-Radwar ZGS-35K optronic systems for surveillance and targeting (OSU-35K system) integrated with CMS;
- Sonar system:
- Blue Hunter hull sonar,
- CAPTAS-2 towed sonar,
- TUUM-6 bathymetric probe and underwater telephone (all the above by Thales),
- SAES DSS-03 diver detection sonar;
- Electronic warfare system: The consortium did not disclose details;
- Navigation and integrated bridge system: OSI Maritime Systems
- Communications system: PGZ SW and Rohde & Schwarz equipment.
The second and third frigates will receive some of the equipment from the beginning, and these will include a hull sonar, a underwater telephone, and a bathymetric probe, in order to avoid the additional work involved in installing them in the underwater part of the hull and the need for docking. The rest of the ZSW remains an option as “fitted for but not with”.
Miecznik frigate construction schedule
Steel cutting for the first-in-class ship will take place at PGZ SW on August 16. The keel laying will take place in the first quarter of 2024, while the launch of the first Miecznik frigate is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. In 2028-2030, Sea trials, qualification tests and delivery of the ship to the Polish Navy are set to take place from 2028 until 2030. Test firings of the missile systems will follow.
Regarding the second frigate, it is assumed that steel cutting will take place in Q2 2025, keel laying in Q4 2025, launching in Q3 2027, and handover to the Polish Navy in Q2 2030. For the last unit, the figures will be, respectively, steel cutting in Q3 2026, keel laying in Q4 2026, launching in Q3 2028 and handover in Q2 2031.
Future growth: Longer range missile with CAMM-MR
There are provision that in the future, longer-range SAM (than CAMM) could be integrated. The missiles in question are:
- CAMM-ER (Extended Range; about 45 km range)
- CAMM-MR (Medium Range; about 100 km range).
The CAMM-ER will be part of the land-based „Narew” system, so they will certainly be integrated with the frigates. The CAMM-MR, on the other hand, is to be a medium- and long-range interceptor for land and sea systems developed jointly by UK and Polish industries under the Future Common Missile program. In addition, a long-range cruise missile capability is under consideration. In technical terms, there will be no difficulties to integrate them with the frigates. Everything depends on political decisions and financing.
About Miecznik frigate
The PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium consists of: Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A., PGZ Stocznia Wojenna Sp. z o.o. and Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. Its foreign partners in this program are the companies: Babcock International – responsible for the technical design of the platform based on Arrowhead 140PL (AH140PL), Thales UK – responsible for the supply of key elements of the Integrated Combat System, and MBDA UK – as the supplier of the air defence system.
The Miecznik frigate is expected to have a total displacement of 7,000 t, dimensions of 138.7×19.7×5.5 m and a crew of 100-120 sailors (maximum accommodation capacity is for 160 men and women). Propulsion will consist of four diesel engines. It will allow a top speed of circa 28 knots and a range of 8,000 nautical miles at 18 knots. Endurance is 30 days at sea.