General Adam Duda: Adelaide used can block the development of the shipbuilding industry

Therefore, about the possible purchase of Adelaide-type frigates, we decided to ask Brig-Gen Adam Duda, Vice President of the Security and Development Foundation Stratpoints, former head of the MON Armed Forces Inspectorate.

Gen. Adam Duda: the priority of our defence needs

In conversation with the Shipyard Portal Gen. Adam Duda points out that Poland's own defence needs should be the primary determinant of the need to purchase arms. Former Head of the Armed Forces Inspectorate explains that Adelaide's ability to carry out missions within the structures of the North Atlantic Alliance should be a secondary argument. He also stresses that the purchase of second-hand ships from the Australian government is the relatively simplest and fastest way to increase naval combat capabilities. But you can only talk about patching a hole in the capabilities of this kind of Armed Forces by purchasing Adelaide frigate in a short, immediate perspective.

– However, in the longer term, and in the case of planning the development of the Armed Forces, it is not allowed to look only through the prism of ad hoc needs, this decision will have long-term effects, not only for the Navy, but also for the shipbuilding industry," says General Adam Duda. – Purchase of used Adelaide frigates involves not only direct purchase costs estimated at several hundred million dollars per piece, but above all difficult to estimate at this stage the cost of adapting to our needs and costs of building logistics support systems of several completely new types of weapons. No detailed analysis was carried out in this case, no feasibility studies were prepared. This includes, probably, the cost of purchasing parts of arms from the US available only in the Foreign Military Sales formula and possible equipment of frigates in on-board helicopters, e.g. Sea Hawk," emphasised General Adam Duda.

The Vice President of the Stratpoints Security and Development Foundation estimates that the costs of buying used Australian frigates will be counted in billions of PLN per piece. It points out that this amount corresponds to the cost of acquiring new, modern ships of smaller sizes, but more adapted to Poland's national defence needs. New ships could serve in the Navy for 30-40 years.

"This solution does not give a chance to restore shipbuilding potential"

Gen. Adam Duda has no doubt that it is a project that can stop the development of the Polish shipbuilding industry.

– This solution does not give a chance to rebuild the shipbuilding potential, especially the capacity building of our shipyards," explains General Adam Duda. – The purchase of used frigates will probably allow Polish shipyards to participate in the current renovation of basic hull elements, as was the case with Oliver Hazard Perry. But our industry, unfortunately, does not have a chance to participate in the projects of advanced combat systems, which, as before, will be implemented either in the US or by leading European companies," says General Adam Duda.

The former Head of the Armed Forces Inspectorate emphasizes that building its own production potential is a time-consuming undertaking, requiring patience and consistency, but in the long term it is always profitable. This is not only about economic benefits, but also about independence and so-called security of supply. Gen. Adam Duda emphasises that this is a task for many more governments, which should not be leverage in the current political struggle.

– If we really want to rebuild the shipbuilding industry, we should use licenses and close cooperation with foreign shipyards and thus build competence, both in terms of managing the production of complex systems, such as ships and engineering competence in the design of elements of the ship's combat system," says General Adam Duda.

Adelaide will block funding for other maritime programmes

The General also stresses that the funds allocated to the technical modernisation of the military, including the modernisation of the most neglected type of armed forces, is Polish Navy, are limited.

– Engaging a new commitment to buy used frigates will naturally block the possibility of financing other naval programmes, e.g. the Sword, the Czapla, or perhaps even Orka, for at least 10-15 years, because the naval modernisation needs are not the only priority expenditure of MON in the next decade," explains the gene. Adam Duda and emphasises that with the current level of funding, it is not possible to implement all the military's priority technical modernisation programmes.

The Vice President of the Foundation for Security and Development Stratpoints recalls that more than 30 naval modernisation projects were planned in the Plan for Technical Modernization of the Armed Forces of Poland for the years 2013-2022. The most important of these are the completion of the construction of the ORP Ślązak ship, the construction of three Kormoran II mine destroyers, as well as the projects of Czapla, Swordfish, Orka, etc. The General stresses that so far projects have been implemented or are in the process of implementing projects concerning the Silesian, mine destroyers, the acquisition of tugboats and the acquisition of equipment and weapons for the second coastal missile squadron.

– Therefore, the natural priority are modern waterships of Sword and Chapla and submarines of Ork," says General Adam Duda. "It should be the focus of the MON’s efforts on their acquisition," he adds.

Signature: LP