The Polish Ministry of Defence has placed a contract for the construction of a submarine rescue vessel, to provide support for the new subs it is building under the Orka programme. Ratownik (Rescuer) will replace the rescue vessels ORP Piast and ORP Lech, which have now been in service for 50 years.
The contract is the second time the Polish Navy has attempted to build a new submarine rescue unit. A contract awarded several years ago to PGZ Naval Shipyard was cancelled after the programme fell behind schedule and costs rose significantly.
The vessels will be built by a consortium comprising Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa, PGZ Naval Shipyard and the Research and Development Centre of Maritime Technology. The new vessel will be larger than its predecessors and fitted with the latest submarine rescue technology.
The Ministry of Defence says that the new unit “will not only provide greater submarine rescue capability…but will also allow for more effective protection of submarine infrastructure”, an issue that has become particularly important in light of recent incidents in the Baltic, such as the damage incurred by the EstLink2 cable.
In addition to submarine rescue and the protection of subsea infrastructure, the new vessel will support NATO activity in the Baltic and undertake search and rescue operations. It will also be equipped for firefighting.
The 96m x 19m Ratownik will feature a maximum displacement of 6,500tonnes, a range of 6,000nm and a speed of 16knots. The ship will have a crew of 100, plus nine additional specialist staff.
Steel-cutting is due to take place in December 2025, and the keel of the new unit will be laid at PGZ Naval Shipyard in February 2026. The vessel is due to be launched in 2027 and handed over to the Polish Navy in 2029.
