Albatros, the second Kormoran II MCMV overall, and the first serial production unit, was handed over to the Polish Navy on 12 August. (Polish Armaments Agency)
The Polish Navy took delivery of its second Kormoran II (Project 258) mine countermeasures vessel (MCMV), ORP Albatros (602), during a ceremony held at Remontowa Shipbuilding on 12 August.
Laid down in December 2018 and launched in October 2019, Albatros is one of six Kormoran II MCMVs on order for the Polish Navy under contracts awarded to a consortium comprising Remontowa Shipbuilding (acting as the prime contractor), Naval Shipyard Gdynia, Ośrodek Badawczo-Rozwojowy Centrum Techniki Morskiej (OBR CTM), and the CTO Ship Design and Research Centre.
The first MCMV, ORP Kormoran (601), has been in service since November 2017. The third ship, Mewa (603), was launched in December 2020 and is undergoing sea trials. Under current planning Mewa is scheduled to be delivered in November 2022. All three will be based with the Polish Navy's 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla.
The second batch of three Kormoran II MCMVs have been ordered under a contract signed on 26 June 2022 and are yet to start construction. Under the terms of this latest contract, valued at around PLN2.5 billion (USD542 million), the new ships are expected to be delivered in 2026–27.
The 58 m Kormoran IIs feature a non-magnetic steel hull, displace around 850 tonnes fully loaded, and can carry a crew complement of 45, with accommodation for seven additional personnel.
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