Conference in Warsaw: PLN 15,2 billion for Polish Navy modernization
Photo: Andrzej Jóźwiak
The 11th edition of the International Conference and Exhibition: Advanced Technologies for Homeland Defence and Border Protection was held on 14 May 2015 at the InterContinental Hotel in Warsaw. The conference was accompanied by an exhibition of products and services from the defence sector and military industry.
This annual conference brings together leading Polish and international specialists in national defence and security. Owing to the careful selection of speakers and good groundwork regarding the issues coming under discussion, and also what are often premiere presentations of products on a national scale, the conference had become one of the sector’s most important events, a valuable source of specialist information and a forum for exchanging knowledge and experiences.
Of nearly PLN 140 billion that are planned to be spent on military forces and defence until 2022, over 15 billion is destined for renewal of the Polish Navy. After almost 20 years of negligence and almost no investments, the opportunity emerges to strengthen the Polish Navy with modern ships to take an important part in defence system of Poland, while Polish companies could and should contribute to this task.
According to initial plans the proper, desired strength of Polish Navy will be secured with 12 new ships in four classes: three multipurpose attack corvettes / coastal defence ships (“Miecznik”), three submarines (“Orka”), three patrol vessels (“Czapla”) and three minehunters (“Kormoran”). Three corvettes and four patrol vessels are planned to be commissioned until 2022. A year later the last of planned submarines is expected to be in service.
So far the most advanced program execution is seen in “Kormoran” mine-hunter class. The first unit of this class is under construction at Remontowa Shipbuilding (with Naval Shipyard Gdynia and Centrum Techniki Morskiej being the remaining members of the consortium). The hull of this ship left the assembly hall on May 3 and was being prepared for launching.
