This marks the beginning of an operation lasting several days, during which a 6,000-ton frigate will be launched into the water for the first time.
This ship is the first built under Poland’s “Miecznik” program – the largest military shipbuilding project in the country’s history.
The ship “ORP Wicher” is expected to be officially named and christened on Wednesday, and launched into the water on Thursday in the Gulf of Gdansk.
The hull will be transferred onto a barge, towed to the Gulf of Gdansk, and launched into the water. Afterwards, tugboats will bring the unfinished frigate back to the shipyard for further work.
According to the article, three heavily armed frigates built under the program, valued at over 3.5 billion euros, will replace the aging Polish Navy warships that were manufactured by Americans.
Sister ships “Burza” and “Huragan” are already under construction, and the entire program is planned to be completed by the end of 2031.
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The frigates are designed based on the warship project “Arrowhead 140,” developed by the British defense company “Babcock.” Each ship will be nearly 140 meters long, have a finished displacement of about 7,000 tons, and be able to carry 120 crew members, with space for about 60 additional personnel.
These warships will be equipped for air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine warfare. They are fitted with “Mk 41” and vertical launch systems, “RBS-15” anti-ship missiles, and torpedoes. The ships are also intended to protect shipping lanes and critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and operate jointly with NATO forces.
As noted by “TVP World,” the warship’s name “Wicher” is meant to honor the pre-war Polish destroyer that remained to defend the coast in 1939, while other Polish destroyers sailed to the United Kingdom. It was sunk by German aircraft on September 3, two days after the start of World War II.
The new “Wicher” is officially expected to join the Polish Navy forces in 2029.
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