According to the original contract, the prototype Miecznik frigate ORP Wicher was to be equipped with a complete Integrated Combat System, including sensors and effectors specified by the Polish Navy. Most of these systems remained an option for serial frigates. The annex to the contract ensures that the future ORP Burza and ORP Huragan will also receive a similar Integrated Combat System (ZSW in Polish).
The Armament Agency has announced that the serial frigates (the second and third units) will recieve sensors and effectors the same as those contracted for the first prototype unit, thus allowing for operations in the anti-air and anti-surface domains. The second and third frigates will be armed with, among other things, 76mm Leonardo Super Rapido Strales gun, Lockheed Martin VLS Mk 41 Strike Lenght launcher (32 chambers) with ExLS Host (Extensible Launching System for CAMM missiles), MBDA UK Sea Ceptor anti-aircraft and anti-missle system with CAMM and CAMM-ER missiles, Thales Sea Master SM410 (with four AESA fixed antennas) and NS50 (with AESA rotating antenna) radar systems, Thales Artemis IRST systems (InfraRed Search andr Track), Saab NLWS (Naval Laser Warning System), as well as electronic warfare, defence systems and IFF identification systems.
The announcement by the Armament Agency indirectly implies that some elements of the ZSW, however, will not go on the Burza and Huragan right away. It reads that ‘the final shape of the equipment of the serial vessels will result from the conclusions drawn from the conducted tests of the prototype unit No. 1’. Furthermore, as mentioned, retrofitting concerns air defence and anti-surface combat systems. This means that perhaps Thales CAPTAS-2 towed sonars and some other equipment (torpedo tubes etc.) will remain as options. The announcement also does not mention about the RBS-15 Mk3+ anti-ship missiles, and other systems.
Meanwhile, on 20 December, PGZ Stocznia Wojenna and Rolls-Royce Solutions inked a contract for the supply of main engines and generator sets for the Miecznik frigates. The contract is for the supply of MTU 20V8000 M71 main propulsion diesel engines (four for each of the three frigates) and MTU 12V4000 M53B generator sets (also four for each). Along with these, MTU control and monitoring systems were purchased.
Following the conclusion of Annex 4, the value of the contract is PLN 14.8bn gross (approximately €3.4bn), which represents 92% of the estimated cost of the entire programme. This amount does not include missiles and artillery ammunition, nor the optional equipment of the serial pair of frigates, which indicates that the price may exceed PLN 16bn (about EUR 3.6bn). For the record, when the contract with the consortium was concluded, the expected cost of the programme was estimated at PLN 8 billion (approximately €1.85bn).
The keel laying of the prototype ORP Wicher is scheduled for 31 January 2024. All three frigates are to be handed over to the Armament Agency by 2031.
