Polish shipyard with another contract for the Navy

The contract signed yesterday (28 May) for the construction of two hydrographic vessels of the 876 Hydrograph project is another large order for the national ship industry. The units will be built at Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding shipyard in Gdańsk and will replace ORP ships operated for more than four decadesHeviliusand ORPArctowski.

The contract value amounts to approximately PLN 1.5 billion net. ForGdańsk shipyardThis means ensuring work for several consecutive years and maintaining competence in the construction of specialized units for the Polish Navy.

The new units will be approximately 60 m long and 13 m maximum width. According to the information provided, their range is expected to be around 5,000 nautical miles and the maximum speed is about 13 knots. These are parameters typical of specialized support ships, where longer operation, stable operation at sea and the ability to conduct accurate hydrographic measurements are more important than speed and weapons.

Another Step After Cormoran II

The signing of the contract for the 876 Hydrograph project is not a new area for Shipbuilding Repair, but the use of competences built over the years for programs for the Polish Navy. In an interviewfor our portalThe management of the shipyard indicated that after the conclusion of the Kormoran II programme, hydrographic, auxiliary and other support vessels would be the natural direction.

The new contract confirms this direction. For Gdańsk shipyards means the continuity of work after a series of mine destroyersCormoran II, but also the possibility of using the facilities, personnel and experience gained from complex ship programs. Next to the programDolphinThe order for Hydrography shows that Shipbuilding Repair remains an important contractor of specialized units for the Polish Navy.

Important order for the shipping industry

Hydrographic ships do not belong to the most spectacular units in the fleet composition, but without them it is difficult to talk about efficient operation at sea. They are responsible for the acquisition of hydrographic data, the updating of sea maps and navigational protection of ship activities.

From the perspective of the shipbuilding industry itself, it is equally important that the contract remains in the country. It means the use of Polish design, production and integration capabilities, as well as further burden on the domestic supply chain. For the shipbuilding sector, this confirms that alongside the programmesMiecznik programmeisLifeguardThere are also less exposed but needed projects for the Polish Navy.

Financing with SAFE

A separate question remains the way this contract is financed. As I indicated above, hydrographic ships are the Navy of Poland needed and their construction is justified both military and industrial. However, the question is whether such entities should be financed fromSAFE mechanismor from the basic modernisation budget of the MON.

In this sense, the agreement shows not only the need to exchange used vessels of the project 874, but also the tension in the planning of purchases for the Polish Navy. If the SAFE funds are used for support vessels, it is difficult not to ask how much real financial space remains for urgent battleship programmes today.

Regardless of these doubts, one thing can be seen clearly: the Polish ship industry caught its breath. The shipyards from Tricity have orders for the Polish Navy.Szczecińska Shipyard "The Volcano"It rebuilds potential by obtaining a licence for special production. It is also becoming clearer that national shipbuilding facilities are returning to the role of a viable backdrop for the modernisation of maritime forces. For the maritime economy, the security of the state and a portal with a name that has been describing this sector for years, that's just good news.