Babcock’s ARROWHEAD 140 design has been selected as the preferred solution for the Polish MIECZNIK frigate procurement effort. This was announced by the Polish Ministry of Defence via twitter on 4 March 2022. The consortium responsible for the construction, led by holding company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ), announced that “strategic cooperation agreements” had been signed with Babcock and UK subsidiaries of Thales and MBDA. PGZ added that the signing of the contract; “marks the phase of preparation for production under the programme to acquire three multi-purpose frigates for the Polish Navy”.
Poland initially plans to build only one frigate from 2023. After commissioning in 2028, the design is to be subject to field testing, following which the test results are to be considered for the construction of the second and third frigates. The MIECZNIK programme is to be completed by 2034.
The cooperation agreement between PGZ and Babcock provides for the MIECZNIK units to be built in Polish shipyards with “significant participation of Polish suppliers and Babcock’s global supply chain”. In addition, Babcock is to continue to support construction in Poland through a licensing agreement after production is completed.
MIECZNIK Aims
Alongside Babcock International, Kiel-based thyssenkruppMarine Systems had been shortlisted for the Polish MIECZNIK (SWORDFISH) frigate procurement programme. The programme, which amounts to about PLN8 Bn (US$2Bn) will replace the two OLIVER HAZARD PERRY-class frigates ORP 272 GENERAŁ KAZIMIERZ PUŁASKI and ORP 273 GENERAŁ TADEUSZ KOŚCIUSZKO.
ARROWHEAD 140, 138.7 metres long at a displacement of 5700 tonnes, traces its origins to the Danish IVER HUITFELDT frigate class. With four MTU diesel engines of 8.2 MW each, she is said to reach a speed of 26 knots, and the variant in service with the Royal Navy is equipped with the MBDA SEA CEPTOR surface-to-air system with two vertical launchers, a 57-mm turret and two 40-mm guns. Furthermore, ARROWHEAD 140 is capable of accommodating a helicopter and a UAV.
In terms of electronics, Thales UK is to supply the TACTICOS combat system in conjunction with the NS110 3D radar. According to Babcock, the design and planning work now to be taken up for the system integration will be completed before the end of 2022.
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