MSPiR with contract to upgrade SAR-3000 units

The Marine Search and Rescue Service has signed an agreement to modernise three specialized SAR-3000 rescue units – m/s Orkan, Belt and Storm. The net contract worth PLN 17.95 million went to the consortium of Nauta S.A. and Crist S.A. Shiprepair Yard. The agreement was concluded on 31 March 2026, after more than a year of procedural turmoil.

When we wrote in mid-February of this year about the cancellation of the tender for upgrading these three rescue unitsIt was hard not to ask yourself: how long Orkan, Belt and Storm Will they wait for the necessary work? The answer came on 31 March 2026 – on that day, the MSPiR signed a contract with a consortium of Gdynia shipyards.

Procedures

The way to do this was a twist. The first procedure – announced in early 2025 – ended with the rejection of all offers submitted by Gdańsk Shiprepair Yard named after J. Piłsudski S.A., PGZ Shipyard War Sp. z o.o. and Nauta Shiprepair Yard. None of them met the terms of the order. A new procedure was announced in May 2025. This time two tenders were submitted and the contract award notice was published on April 10, 2026 – more than a year after the first unsuccessful start of the procedure.

The leader of the selected consortium was Nauta, a partner – Crist S.A. from Gdańsk. The contract is ET-SAR 3000/2026. Funding comes from the European Regional Development Fund under the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021–2027 programme, action FENX.05.07 Maritime security.

What will change to SAR-3000 units?

The scope of work, which will partially reach subcontractors, covers several key areas. The shipyards will produce design documentation, replace the lighting intended to search for survivors, install the pre-lubrication system at maximum speed and modernise the automation and control systems of the unit. The package also includes the delivery of a new lifeboat with the modernization of the slip for its launching.

This is not a work that attracts media attention – it is not a new hull or a spectacular reconstruction. But in these details, there is the essence of operational readiness. Efficient search lighting, reliable start-up of engines in difficult conditions and responsive automation are the difference between effective rescue action and dramatic delay on rough sea.

Three units, three deadlines

The work schedule was spread out for two years. M/s Orkan to be upgraded in the first quarter of 2027, m/s Belt – in the fourth quarter of the same year, a m/s Storm – in the first quarter of 2028. The sequenced approach will allow the MSPiR to maintain operational continuity – the units stationed in Hel, Ustka and Świnoujście will not be excluded from on-calls simultaneously.

Let us remind you: each SAR-3000 rescue unit is 36.9 m long and is powered by three MTU engines with a total power exceeding 4900 kW, which allows to reach speed up to 24 knots. Units can board up to 150 survivors and are equipped with advanced medical and rescue equipment.

Component of the larger puzzle

The contract for the consortium of Nauta and Cristu is one of several elements of the broader project of modernization of the MSPiR fleet. Alongside three SAR-3000 rescuers, the project also includes m/s Captain Poinc and m/s Czesław II – individuals involved, among others, in the fight against petroleum pollution. The total value of the whole project exceeds PLN 62 million, of which over PLN 53 million is EU funding.

For the Polish shipbuilding industry, the agreement also has a different dimension: it is another signal that Gdynia shipyards – despite procedural turmoil – remain important contractors in domestic orders from the maritime safety area. It is worth remembering that Nauta was already present in the first, invalidated procedure – and ultimately she, in a consortium with Crist, faced the signature of the contracting authority.

From this perspective, the modernisation of SAR-3000 units is not a media-efficient investment, but very needed. In search and rescue operations, the crew's readiness, technical condition of the unit and equipment are determined by the effectiveness of the search and rescue operations, which allows to quickly find and safely take people from the sea.