Vice Admiral Jarosław Ziemański: the most important thing is to build the main forces of the fleet

The conversation with Vice Admiral Jarosław Zieminski was published in the November-December issue of "Banders". The interview deals with a wide range of issues related to the Navy and maritime security of the state, but its large passage concerns the technical modernization of the Polish Navy.

In an interview with the "Bandery" Naval Inspector Jarosław Zienański says that it is very important for the Navy (and for other types of Armed Forces) to implement allied commitments.

– Their implementation demonstrates our credibility as a NATO member. These commitments are very detailed as defined by the North Atlantic Alliance – in an interview with the magazine, Deputy Admiral Jarosław Ziemański emphasizes.

The Naval Inspector, asked if submarines could be acquired in Poland over the next few years, emphasizes that this is a very costly project.

– I would risk saying that this is the second most expensive project in our armed forces, right after the country's air defense project. The problem is that the budget – which the Polish army has – is limited. The task of the Naval Inspector is to convince the decision-makers about the importance – from the point of view of the security of Poland – of the possession of submarines and their role in the security system, both the state and NATO, emphasizes the Vice Admiral.

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Jarosław Ziemański in an interview with "Bandera" reminds us that the Kobben-type submarines are already being withdrawn from service in the navy. As the Naval Inspector says, the situation is undesirable, in which the Polish fleet will have only one Kilo submarine and trained crews of several ships.

– We are trying to achieve what is called a bridge capacity that will allow us to maintain a trained crew of submarines until new submarines can be financed. Watercrafts – such as corvettes or frigates – are not as complex projects as submarines, especially those that we would like to acquire – i.e. powered by an air-independent drive. In technological terms, the construction of a modern submarine is comparable to the construction of a space shuttle. Without the ability to build such units, we would have to sign a contract with a foreign shipyard that has such capabilities. Nevertheless, we are also trying to take into account, to the extent possible, the capabilities of our native shipbuilding industry, emphasises Vice Admiral Jarosław Ziemański.

On the other hand, the question of whether the submarines can be obtained faster than the submarines, the Navy inspector answers quite evasively, or, in fact, does not give a clear answer.

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– As regards the construction of a modern water vessel, in many countries there is a system that means that the construction of the first unit is carried out in foreign shipyards, where staff are trained to later build more units in their country. Of course, it is possible to build the first ship immediately in national shipyards, but then there is an increased risk of making mistakes in the course of construction work, and this in turn is due to the increase in costs and the increase in the time of creation of the new unit. The decision to choose the variant will be taken at the level of the MON and the Armed Forces Inspectorate (IU) will implement it as a contracting entity, says the Naval Inspector.

Vice Admiral Jarosław Zienański is also asked about rocket frigates, specifically whether individuals of this class should play a particular role in Poland's defence system. In response, the Naval Inspector stresses that rocket frigates are characterised by high air defence capabilities and should be considered as part of the country's air defence system where this is justified.

– We are currently building battleships. Min destroyers provide us with the safety of shipping on communication lines and approaches to ports, but the ability to defend these ships from air strikes is limited. So rocket frigates are a protective umbrella for ships with limited anti-aircraft defense capabilities," explains Naval Inspector Jarosław Ziemański.

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The interview reminds that one of two Polish rocket frigates – ORP General Kazimierz Pulaski – was recently renovated. Vice-Admiral Jarosław Ziemański in a conversation with "Bandera" says that the navy also wants to repair the second frigate.

"Both of these units should be involved in maritime operations, as part of permanent teams of NATO vessels. By the way, speaking of frigates (but also about other ships), it is worth noting that Polish Navy is a maneuverable type of armed force. We cannot limit ourselves to action within the Baltic Sea alone. The defence of our country's marine areas should also be implemented outside its waters. Closed to activities only in this watershed would mean incomplete use of the equipment we have at our disposal, says the Vice Admiral.

Source: "Bandera. Naval Magazine", No. 11/12 (113/114) November/December 2018.