According to the laconic press release on ORP Orzeł:“full underwater tests at periscope depth, full submergence at various depths, and snorkeling were performed.”
ORP Orzeł problematic overhaul
To better understand what the problem was, it is necessary to recall the last decade of ORP Orzeł. The submarine went to the Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej S.A. in Gdynia (now PGZ Stocznia Wojenna Sp. z o.o.) in June 2014 for a scheduled overhaul combined with battery replacement. Unfortunately, since then, many things have gone differently than what the Polish Navy anticipated…
During the overhaul, the need for extensive work arose. Additional orders, including replacement of hull plating and others were included in annexes to the main contract (six in total). In 2015, the submarine, while leaving the floating dock, suffered damage (broken mooring polders and hawses). In 2017, a fire occurred while discharging the battery. It took the next few years to restore functionality after the fire, as well as the subsequent defects discovered. The work was carried out by a number of small companies that tried to improve individual mechanisms and equipment, under a number of separate contracts, without a comprehensive approach to solving the problems. Although ORP Orzeł has gone to sea in recent years, most were were short circles between repairs and surfaced. After the latest overhaul, which began in November 2021, the submarine has now returned to operational service and training, according to a Polish Navy announcement.
After the withdrawal of four ex-Norwegian Kobben-class submarines, the Submarine Squadron is left with the sole ORP Orzeł. She was built by the Krasnoye Sormovo shipyard in Gorky (now Nizhny Novgorod) under the project 877E Paltus. It was the first export vessel of the class commonly referred to as “Varshavyanka”. It entered service under the Polish flag in April 1986, so it will soon turn 38 years old. Its current condition after numerous repairs practically corresponds to the original one. No significant upgrades have been made. The need for specialized training of the squadron’s personnel and the possibility of using the Orzeł in NATO exercises to simulate subs operated by the Russian Federation (although most of them are version 636.3, significantly different from the Polish 877E) are cited as the rationale for repairing this vintage vessel.
Canceled upgrade program
In 2018, as part of its bid in the Orka submarine program, Naval Group proposed to complete the overhaul and limited modernization of ORP Orzeł. Completion was to take only 18 months. The Polish Navy needed (and needs again today!) a gap filler until new submarines arrive. Since France could not offer a submarine from its own fleet (the Marine nationale uses only nuclear powered submarines), the Kilo class modernization was proposed. The plan was to install a SUBTICS combat management system with four operator consoles and a tactical table (instead of the Soviet MWU-110EM Murena), a sonar data analysis system with LOFAR (LOw Frequency Analysis and Ranging) and DEMON (DEMOdulated Noise), replace one of the two PZKG-11 periscopes with a Sagem optronic mast, replace the MRP-25 system with a new R-ESM, and F-21 torpedoes (instead of the Soviet 53-65KE and TEST-71ME). However, at that time the Orka program was canceled and the modernization did not take place.
Currently, the problem has returned. ORP Orzeł is the only Polish submarine, and new ones won’t reach the Polish fleet before the end of this decade. The resuscitated Orka program features the world’s leading submarine manufacturers, expanded by new players from the Republic of Korea (Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries). Some of the competitors may supply submarines as gap fillers, but not all of them. So it cannot be ruled out that ORP Orzeł will get a limited upgrade. Although it is classified information, it can be expected that the only Polish Kilo class submarine will serve until at least the end of the 2020s.
