Polish Navy to receive ORP Slazak in 2019, 18 years after keel-laying ceremony

The Polish defense ministry announced on June 29 that it has awarded PGZ a contract to complete outfitting works and all trials on the offshore patrol vessel ‘Ślązak’ and subsequently deliver it to the Polish Navy.

According to the announcement, Ślązak is set to start trials in July 2018 while the delivery and acceptance is expected to take place by March 2019.

By 2019, the former-corvette-turned-OPV will be delivered to the navy after missing several delivery deadlines.

A keel-laying ceremony for the vessel, which was initially expected to be the first of several Gawron-class corvettes, took place in 2001. Though the vessel’s hull was launched in 2009, the entire project was cancelled in 2012. The government subsequently made the decision to convert the corvette into an offshore patrol vessel.

The converted vessel was to be delivered to the navy by November 2016. After that deadline was not met, Polish media reports indicated July 2018 as the new delivery date. According to the latest announcement, the Slazak should be joining the navy in March 2019.

The 95-meter-long ship is based on the Blohm + Voss’ MEKO A100 design and displaces 1800 tons. It will be carrying a 76 mm OTO Melara gun, two Leonardo-built 30mm Marlin-WS guns,  and four Grom man-portable air-defense short-range missile launchers.

Slazak is also equipped with the SMART-S Mk2 is the naval 3D air and surface surveillance radar and the Thales-delivered TACTICOS combat management system, STING-EO Mk2 fire control radar, MIRADOR electro-optical system and LINK 11/16 tactical data link.