Strengthening the protection of strategic infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and securing maritime communication routes are now among the most important priorities for the Polish Navy. Modernization programs being implemented for the Navy are intended to rebuild its combat capabilities. This process is not only an opportunity to reinforce Poland’s security from the north, but also a major impulse for the domestic shipbuilding industry. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) says that after the implementation of the Miecznik frigate program and the Ratownik rescue vessel project, it is ready to build further units for the Polish Navy.
“The Baltic Sea is now a very important area, and our priority is to protect critical and energy infrastructure at sea. Energy is moving from southern Poland to the north, which is very important for us. That is why I would say that a safe Baltic means a safe Poland,” Vice Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski, Commander of the Maritime Operations Centre – Maritime Component Command, told Newseria.
In recent years, there have been several cases of damage to undersea power and telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, including between Finland, Estonia and Sweden. For this reason, NATO countries are paying increasing attention to safeguards against such incidents. This is also particularly important for Poland, as new elements of energy infrastructure are being developed in its part of the Baltic Sea and along the coast. These include a nuclear power plant, offshore wind farms, gas pipelines, terminals and undersea transmission cables, all of which could become targets of sabotage or hybrid attacks in the event of a crisis or conflict.
“Critical infrastructure means energy, which is essential for the functioning of the state, but it also means lines of communication. We must ensure the safe movement of merchant vessels delivering goods and military equipment, which is also necessary in the event of a conflict,” explains Vice Admiral Jaworski.
The BALTOPS exercises are designed to test the readiness of allied forces to respond to crises in the region. The 55th edition will take place between 4 and 19 June. NATO allied forces will practice, among other things, submarine detection, mine clearance on shipping routes, and defence against attacks by surface vessels, aircraft and drones. The exercises involve ships, aviation and special forces from more than a dozen NATO countries. Their aim is to test the interoperability of allied forces.
The protection of communication routes and strategically important facilities has become one of the main tasks of NATO navies in the Baltic Sea. According to the Polish command, this creates new challenges related to adapting combat capabilities.
“We have minehunters and somewhat old frigates, but we are waiting for new ones, because the Miecznik ships are already on the way. Submarines are an urgent need, among other things to protect critical infrastructure, but soon there will be three vessels that will secure this activity,” says the Commander of the Maritime Operations Centre.
The importance of submarines for operations in the Baltic Sea has increased with the expansion of Russian missile and reconnaissance systems in the Kaliningrad region. These include air defence and anti-ship systems that make it more difficult for surface vessels to operate in parts of the sea. Poland currently has one submarine in service, ORP Orzeł. Under the Orka program, the government plans to acquire three new vessels. Last year, it decided to select Sweden’s offer, and contract negotiations are now underway.
“A submarine is an incredibly versatile platform. Thanks to its stealth, it can operate even in the face of the so-called anti-access bubble that the Russians have created for us from the Kaliningrad region. They have systems that prevent the use of surface vessels, so submarines are perfectly suited to enabling serious operations to begin,” says Vice Admiral Jaworski. “One submarine ties down an incredible number of surface vessels, which means that even a single unit can achieve a great deal.”
In addition to the Orka program, the Polish Navy is also implementing the Miecznik program, which involves the construction of three multi-role frigates: ORP Wicher, ORP Burza and ORP Huragan. Another key project is Ratownik, covering the construction of a new rescue vessel. These ships are being built at PGZ Stocznia Wojenna in Gdynia.
“The Polish Navy needed modernization, and this process has been underway for many years. In 2017, Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa took over the Naval Shipyard. Today, PGZ Stocznia Wojenna has transformed from a failing enterprise into one of the most modern shipyards in the Baltic Sea region. We are building four vessels simultaneously: three missile frigates under the codename Miecznik and the Ratownik rescue vessel. This is a huge production and logistics challenge for Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and more than 100 companies cooperating with us,” says Jan Grabowski, Vice-President of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa.
According to the Ministry of National Defence, the frigates will be responsible, among other things, for protecting communication routes, providing air defence, and combating surface and underwater vessels. They will also be used to protect critical infrastructure, including wind farms, gas pipelines and offshore transmission links.
At the end of April this year, PGZ announced the start of construction of the third vessel, ORP Huragan, which opened the final stage of the Miecznik program. ORP Wicher is scheduled to be launched in August this year, while ORP Burza is at the stage of hull section construction. The company stresses that the construction of the frigates is a project involving dozens of suppliers from around the world, but many of them are Polish entities.
“These ships are being built by Polish engineers in a Polish shipyard. They are being built under licence from the United Kingdom, while the original Miecznik design comes from Denmark. Nevertheless, this is a Polish product. It is being created in Poland with foreign partners, who will always be with us, because, for example, the combat management system for Miecznik is supplied by Thales. Poland does not have such capabilities. That is why cooperation is beneficial, because industrial synergy builds our common security,” says Grabowski. “The CAMM missiles with which the Miecznik frigates will be armed will be produced in Poland based on cooperation with MBDA.”
Since November 2025, construction of the Ratownik rescue vessel has also been underway at the Gdynia shipyard. PGZ Stocznia Wojenna is cooperating on this project with other domestic entities, including Stocznia Szczecińska “Wulkan”, which will build the bow block of the vessel.
“In the coming years, the Polish Navy will need 15 vessels. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa is ready to build and deliver them on time,” assures the PGZ Vice-President.
As part of the modernization of the Polish Navy, further Kormoran II-class minehunters and Delfin electronic reconnaissance ships are also being built. On 28 May 2026, the Armament Agency signed an agreement with Remontowa Shipbuilding for the acquisition of two hydrographic vessels financed from SAFE funds. These will be specialized support units used to acquire, collect and process geospatial data for the needs of the Polish Armed Forces.
“The fleet that we have planned and that industry is consistently delivering is a balanced fleet that will ensure Poland’s security,” says Vice Admiral Jaworski.
The Polish Navy is also increasingly focused on the development of unmanned systems, although, as emphasized during a panel at Defence24 Days, such systems have already been used successfully for many years.
“Unmanned systems will not replace manned surface ships. They are a complementary system. The Navy already has many years of experience, mainly with unmanned systems used in mine warfare, which monitor the underwater environment and destroy mines. In addition, we are now moving toward reconnaissance, meaning unmanned assets that operate not only on the water but also in the air, and which will be able to conduct strike operations,” says Vice Admiral Jaworski. “The spectrum is broad. There is probably no task that cannot be assigned to unmanned systems, and this is the direction we will follow. But they will complement manned naval assets.”
