The new ORP Burza frigate. The Miecznik program is gaining momentum

The keel laying ceremony for ORP Burza, the second frigate of the Miecznik program, took place at the PGZ War Shipyard on Thursday.

Jerzy Łopatyński from PGZ Stocznia Wojenna announced on Thursday that representatives of the Polish defense industry and naval forces participated in the ceremony of welding the commemorative medal into the structure of the keel of the future frigate. The ceremony was also attended by, among others: deputy ministers of the Ministry of National Defense and MAP Paweł Bejda and Konrad Gołota.

Jan Grabowski, vice-president of the management board of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, emphasized that another milestone in the construction of Burza confirms that PGZ is systematically building the production capacity needed to implement long-term modernization programs.

The Miecznik program includes the construction of three new generation multi-role frigates: Wicher, Burza and Huragan. The units will replace the ORP Gen. K. Pułaski and ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko frigates that are being decommissioned.

Marcin Ryngwelski, president of the management board of PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, noted in a statement sent to PAP that the first frigate – Wicher – is already at a very advanced stage of hull assembly, and the Miecznik program is the greatest challenge in the history of the modern Polish shipyard.

The multi-mission frigates of the Miecznik program are units with a displacement of approximately 7,000 tons and a length of nearly 140 meters. They will be equipped with modern systems for detecting, tracking and combating air, surface and underwater targets.

Each frigate will be able to operate for several dozen days without the need to replenish supplies, which will provide the Polish Navy with the ability to conduct long-term missions in the Baltic Sea and beyond.

The swordboats are approx. 138 m long and have a maximum displacement (including additional equipment and plating) of approx. 7,000. tone. They will have approx. 8 thousand. nautical miles of range and maximum speed is 28 knots. (PAP)

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