Miecznik Bids Submitted

The materials submitted at the Inspectorate would now be assessed by the representatives of the Armed Forces, and the Polish MoD. As a result, the best frigate platform for the Navy would be selected

"We have kept our word and meeting the deadlines we have submitted documentation to the military bringing closure to the first stage of work in the Miecznik Programme. In the upcoming weeks, a committee brought to life by the Ordering Party would assess and select the solution that best responds to the Polish Navy requirements. We, meanwhile, are launching another stage of business negotiation with the potential partners, which is to lead to a conclusion of trade memorandums, transfer of technology, and arrangement of rules of cooperation during the pre-production phase" said Sebastian Chwałek, President at PGZ S.A.

The documentation submitted to the Armament Inspectorate of the MoD includes conceptual designs of three warship platforms, proposed by three foreign partners - German, Spanish, and British. The documents also outline the possible configuration of the Integrated Combat Systems, based around four pre-selected CMS solutions. When it comes to the platforms, these include German TKMS with MEKO A-300PL, Spanish Navantia with its F100 design, and Babcock with its AH140PL ship. The combat system bids include proposals by Navantia, Thales, Leonardo, and Saab.

The Armament Inspectorate also received Technical-Economic analyses, as well as assumptions tied to the transfer of technology and know-how, and infrastructure investments required to start the shipbuilding process, properly manage the programme, or mobilize the relevant resources. The PGZ-MIECZNIK consortium has prepared three variants of the bid: minimal, meeting the requirements and contained within the budget; optimal - exceeding the base requirements but meeting the budgetary constraints; and complete, over-the-top variant - with optional proposals included, but exceeding the budget defined by the Ordering Party.

The PGZ Group stresses that the warship platforms proposals offer enough headroom to tailor each of them to the needs of the Polish Navy. The configurations of systems offered are also interchangeable between the platforms. It would also be possible to implement further modifications in the future, should a decision be made to improve the capabilities of Miecznik vessels during operation. The Miecznik programme assumes that three modern frigates would be procured for the Polish Navy. Multi-role vessels as such would expand the capabilities of the Polish Navy, allowing the branch to pursue a broad spectrum of naval missions, also when it comes to the security of shipping routes and energy infrastructure. The vessels are to replace the currently operated OHP-class frigates. The first Miecznik is to be commissioned in 2028, and another two in 2033, and 2034 correspondingly. The warships are to offer a broad range of air/surface/and submarine warfare capabilities. The consortium is led by the PGZ Group, with PGZ War Shipyard and Remontowa Shipbuilding onboard. The PGZ Group hopes to spend a budget of PLN 8 bn. gross. However, depending on the variant selected, the programme may entail a pricetag exceeding PLN 10 bn.