Shipbuilders Navantia, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), and Babcock have been shortlisted to compete in the Polish Navy's Miecznik (Swordfish) coastal defence frigate programme.
The new coastal defence vessels are intended to replace the Polish Navy's two Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates, ORP General Kazimierz Pułaski and ORP General Tadeusz Kościuszko (pictured), by 2033. (NATO/PO ESP-N Sánchez Oller.)
Under the Miecznik programme, three multimission frigates will be built by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (Polish Armaments Group, PGZ) Naval Shipyard in Gdynia through a transfer of technology agreement in partnership with an international shipbuilder. A consortium led by PGZ was awarded a contract by the Polish Armament Inspectorate covering the design and construction of the three ships on 27 July.
Announcing its selection to deliver a proposal for the programme on 6 August, Spanish shipbuilder Navantia said its design will be based on its F-100 frigate platform, which is in service with the Spanish Navy and has formed the basis of variants built for Norway and Australia.
UK shipbuilder Babcock will deliver a proposal based on its Arrowhead 140 design, which is based on the Iver Huitfeldt-class platform already in service with the Royal Danish Navy and which also forms the basis of the UK Royal Navy Type 31 frigate general-purpose frigate programme.
German shipbuilder TKMS will submit a proposal based on its MEKO A300, which is the latest variant of its MEKO frigate family.
The shipbuilders will now enter a viability phase under which they will present a detailed proposal to the Polish Ministry of Defence, which is expected to make its final choice by early 2022.
Under current planning, the first ship is expected to be launched within four years of contract signing, with all three ships to be delivered by 2034.
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