In the scope of the the Polish MIECZNIK procurement effort for three frigates, the designs of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and Babcock International have been selected by the Polish Ministry of Defence for contract negotiations following the completion of the study phase.
TKMS had participated in the concept design study with a MEKO-A300 multi-purpose frigate design, adapted to Polish requirements. Babcock entered the race with the ARROWHEAD 140. Spanish shipbuilder Navantia is no longer among the contenders.
Poland has founded a consortium for the MIECZNIK project under the leadership of the holding Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), which is to build the frigate. This consortium, with two shipyards, will provide the shipbuilding capacity. The technology is to be supplied by the selected foreign company. Contract negotiations will involve fine-tuning the design according to military requirements, determining the framework for technology transfer and negotiating the funding for the project.
At the beginning of the study phase, TKMS had stated that the construction of warships in cooperation with the industry of other countries was a matter of course. More than half of the ships exported were built by shipyards in the country of the respective customer, TKMS said.
Initially, Poland wants to build only one frigate from 2023. After commissioning in 2028, the design is to be tested in an operational environment. The test results are to be considered for the construction of the second and third frigate. The entire MIECZNIK project is to be completed by 2034. According to a PGZ statement, the contract value for the three frigates, including armament and a logistical package, is €1.8Bn.
GWH
