ORP Albatross – the second in a series of three advanced minehunters launched!
On Thursday, 10 October this year, at Remontowa Shipbuilding SA yard of Remontowa Holding capital group, the ceremony of christening and launching of the ship ORP Albatros – the second in a series of three modern minehunters, to serve in 13th Squadron of MCMV, part of the 8th Coast Defense Fleet, took place. On the same day a keel was laid for the construction of the third unit of the same series – ORP Mewa.
The event is a consequence of an agreement signed with the Armament Inspectorate in December 2017 in the premises of Ministry of National Defence in Warsaw. The ships are being built by a consortium of companies with the Remontowa Shipbuilding SA shipyard from the Remontowa Holding group as a leader. The remaining companies in the consortium are OBR Centrum Techniki Morskiej SA (OBR CTM) and PGZ Stocznia Wojenna from the Polish Armaments Group.
The ceremony began with the laying of keel for the construction of the third series of Cormoran II mines destroyer project 258/3. The representative of the hull department of the shipyard supported the commemorative medal, and then representatives of the Ordering Party, the Polish Register of Shipping SA, as well as the Contractors signed a protocol confirming the location of keel.
The entire event, broadcast on large screens, was watched by, among others, the representatives of the Ordering Party, the Polish Register of Shipping and the Contractors: Piotr Soyka – President of the Remontowa Holding capital group accompanied by the management boards of the Remontowa Shipbuilding SA, Remontowa SA and other companies of the Remontowa Holding group, as well as Janusz Dilling – Deputy Director of Shipbuilding in PRS, Fr. Wiesław Szlachetka – auxiliary bishop of the Gdańsk Archdiocese, Colonel Waldemar Bogusławski – deputy head of the Armament Inspectorate, Zbigniew Ptak – plenipotentiary of the Marshal of the Pomorskie Voivodeship, representatives of the Research and Development Centre of the Marine Technology Centre with President Marcin Wiśniewski at the head, Piotr Nowak – vice-president of the PGZ of the War Shipyard, former commanders of the ships ORP Albatros m.including Admiral Jerzy Patz, Commander of the Maritime Operations Centre – Commander of the Maritime Component – Deputy Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski, Rear Admiral Krzysztof Zdonek, Deputy Inspector of the Navy, Counter. Piotr Nieć – commander of the 8th FOW, Lieutenant Commander Jarosław Iwańczuk – commander of the 13th Squadron of the Trawlers, as well as the commander of the launched ship – the captain of the navy – Michał Narłowski.
The godmother of ORP Albatross was Krystyna Patz – wife of Vice-Admiral Jerzy Patz.
President of Poland Andrzej Duda in a letter read during the ceremony by the representative of the National Security Bureau Dr. Jarosław Wypijewski emphasized that the contract “proves the effectiveness of cooperation between private and state entities”, realized by a consortium of Polish companies with the Shipbuilding Repair Shipyard as the leader of the contract.
“Today, after the descent into the water, ORP Albatros will begin the final stage of preparations for service,” wrote the President, recalling that this unit, “designed to clean the waters from hazardous materials and to build minefields, will carry out typical combat tasks, but also tasks serving to support civil services and prepare maritime regions for safe use.
“I am convinced that in addition to protecting Polish maritime borders and promoting safety on shipping routes, he will also represent the Polish flag in permanent NATO maritime teams and anti-mine forces. – was written by the head of the armed forces.
– The first ORP Albatros was introduced to service in 1945, and the second in 1965 – said Marcin Ryngwelski, president of the shipbuilding repair yard Shipbuilding SA. – It will be the third ship of this distinguished name for the Navy. ORP Mewa will be the fourth ship of this name in the 100-year history of the Polish Navy. The first one defended our sea borders during World War II and was conscripted into service in 1935.
As with the ORP Kormoran prototype, which was commissioned in November 2017, the hulls of the subsequent mine destroyers are built of amagnetic steel, which ensures that the physical fields of the ships have low characteristics. Prefabrication, assembly of sections, blocks and hull take place in a special hall equipped with monitoring systems and specialized filtering and control equipment, such as cleanliness, air temperature, and preventing the ingress of iron filings and other contaminants from outside.
– In November 2017, we delivered a prototype mine destroyer ORP Kormoran to the Navy. Building it, we gained huge experience, which we use to create two more ships, so that they meet the expectations of the Ordering Party to an even greater extent – emphasized Bartłomiej Pomierski, Vice President of Shipbuilding Repair.
– The electronics-saturated ship of project 258 is the most modern ship of its class in NATO alliance. On board is a unique management system provided by our consortium partner OBR CTM. Ship’s steering, planning of operations and command takes place not on the bridge, but at the computer consoles of the combat information center. All signals and data of reconnaissance, technical observation and information systems of the command support network flow into the centre. All thanks to kilometers of cables, fiber optic cables, servers, local stations and very sensitive sensors. The ship is also equipped with a dozen or so remote-controlled submarine vehicles and the most modern sonars – said Bartłomiej Pomierski.
On behalf of the Management Board and employees of the Remontowa Shipbuilding Shipyard, he also thanked Piotr Soyka for “constant support in the activities, inspiration to run new solutions, as well as for the constant assistance provided to the shipyard”.
– Thanks to this we can work and build the most innovative ships and ships that are being built in Poland – said Pomierski.
Currently, Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding S.A. is building 18 fully equipped vessels, and the order book is filled for the next two years. The production programme includes, among others, eight ships for the Navy (two mine destroyers and six tugboats) and two multi-purpose vessels for maritime offices, which will be handed over in mid-2020.
– Under the contract signed in 2018, we are also implementing the construction of four electric ferries for one of the largest Norwegian carriers – Norled – said the President of Shipbuilding Repair. – Next month the construction of two ice-breakers for Polish Water will start. This shows that the shipyard, as Remontowa Holding, is able to build modern and multi-purpose ships for MW RP and ships for private owners.
Capital Group Remontowa Holding is the largest Polish shipbuilding group and one of the largest in Europe, specializing in design, construction, repairs, rebuilding and equipping vessels, employing directly over 4 thousand employees and 4 thousand partners. It includes: a design office, two largest shipyards in Poland, as well as a dozen or so manufacturers and suppliers of marine systems and equipment.
In 2018, the Holding’s revenues from sales amounted to PLN 1.8 billion.
Main parameters of Cormoran II mines destroyers:
Buoyancy: 830 t,
Overall length – 58.50 m,
Maximum width – 10.30 m,
Height to bow deck – 6.40 m,
Height to the main deck at the stern – 4.70 m.
Agnieszka Latarska
Photo: Sławomir Lewandowski / PORTALMORSKI.PL
