Babcock, in collaboration with PGZ SA, has unveiled a Framework Agreement.

This step is a progression from their Strategic Cooperation Agreement from March 2022, aiming to form a Joint Venture (JV).

This JV will bolster the Strategic Partnership between both entities, with an emphasis on supporting Poland’s MIECZNIK frigate programme and exploring broader international defence prospects.

Poland’s Miecznik initiative draws inspiration from Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 Frigate design. Both Babcock and PGZ SA intend to realise this programme by merging their shipbuilding and equipment expertise.

David Lockwood, CEO of Babcock, commented, “In today’s world, sovereign defence has never been more important. Our planned Joint Venture with PGZ continues to build on our increasingly close relationship, enabling us to consolidate the core capabilities of both organisations to benefit our current and future customers.”

He added, “What we do matters more than ever, and today we are proud to stand alongside our Polish partner as they cut the first steel on this national shipbuilding programme.”

On the same note, Sebastian Chwałek, CEO of PGZ S.A., stated, “The Framework Agreement concluded today is built on the strong and fruitful relationship between PGZ and Babcock. Once concluded, the Joint Venture will not only support the MIECZNIK programme but also work as a platform for future naval shipbuilding capabilities. Strengthening the potential of the Polish Navy is an absolute priority for us, but in the long term, together with Babcock we also plan to create export opportunities. Cooperation in the development of naval forces is also an action to strengthen the NATO, of which both our countries are extremely important representatives.”

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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53 COMMENTS

  1. Poland is considering ordering five more A140 MIECZNIK’s, for a total of eight, although only the first of class will initially be fully equipped due to budget constraints. If that happens PGZ can certainly justify demanding a 50:50 JV. I would imagine that once the Polish shipyard has built up experience, it will be significantly cheaper to build the hulls for any export orders in Gdynia than Rosyth, the later perhaps being restricted to fitting out and RN T31/32 orders? 

    • Realistically the export market for frigates is close to zero, every country wants local assembly unless your willing to offer massive subsidies like France.

      • Indeed the second hand market seems to have more opportunity…operate then early disposal via sale and building a new one is the way to support industry as well as keep the navy operating as efficiently as possible.

      • True. Australia & New Zealand will definitely want to build locally if the former does curtail it’s plans T26.

        Few other countries that don’t have domestic shipbuilding facilities need 5,000 frigates.

        That’s not to say T31 won’t continue to be a great success if it continues to be licenced and supported with UK tech.

        • New Zealand build locally? Seriously? Australia is in trouble.

          I do agree with other posters, sell them off before mid-life updates and use NATO central pool of funds to equip the Baltics and the Black Sea fleets of NATO MS… we could even try flogging a couple to Ireland via the EURO Common defence fund. 🙂

          • Australia is not in trouble! RAN’s ship and sub fleet is getting upgraded and expanded. Just bought 200 Tomahawks the other day going onto the AAW Hobart destroyers first up and maybe T26’s later. If the RN’s T45s had 1-2 MK41s added they could have the same and not just T26/31’s. Different priorities maybe but utilising more of what you’ve already got.

      • Oh come on, the current British government (and the next one) is more than happy to sell off the miltary at a huge discount. I’ll even put money on the table that Hunt and Sunak are more than happy to hand over as much stuff to the Ukraine simply in which to :
        A: Not replace them
        B; Save money on storage and maintence.

        And lets be honest Hunt with his chinese wife and Sunak with his Indian links are both more than happy to sell the Uk to their true masters and Labour, the Lib dems and the SNP with their links to Palestine,Iran, EU and Russia are even worse. The one thing I have noted about the current crop of British political elites is they can’t move fast enough in which to destroy the United Kingdom.

        • I think you are totally wrong on the sell offs.

          Labour will co-opt both he carriers and the Albions as accommodation for refugees, why?

          Cheaper and,
          Provide luxury living standards as enjoyed by the matelots with wholesome meals catering to halal etc, hot and cold running water, and IPhone rechargers as standard.

          It’s a winner as we cancel the F35B order.

          • DAS wrote:
            “”What claptrap””

            Want to explain how the armed forces has been cut to the bone with no end in sight. Equipment has been handed over the Ukraine (Ive no issues with that) isnt getting replaced as soon or in the numbers required.

            Regards China, not only has the Uk turned a blind eye to its spying in the Uk, the current government has done nothing regards Chinese police stations operating in the Uk (Ireland in contrast closed them down straight away) Last year saw the Consulate General of China, Manchester send thugs out to attack and beat up peaceful protesters (all caught on film) and what has the UK done…nothing. China has banned a number of MPs what has the Uk done nothing. China has reneged on Honk Kong, what has the Uk done nothing. Chinese company Huawei has been banned from most Western countries due to spying, But not the Uk which claims that it has a state of the art testing centre (Huawei Cyber Security Evaluation Centre) where all new Huawei is checked for backdoors and such. But here’s the catch, all the workers at that test centre are Huawei employees, and in each and every security evaluation carried out by the British security services on that test centre, the place has failed. Yet the Government places great store on it. Yesterday due to Chinese pressure the FO issued an diktat which forbids government departs from referring to countries with a hostile intent towards the Uk (China, Russia, North Korea and Iran) as hostile . Want to know the last FS to visit China, why that would be Hunt, and that was in 2018, want to know what he had to say:
            “” Britain is committed to enhancing its “golden era” in relations with China after Brexit,””
            And then in 2020, the Uk backtracked and cut a load of Chinese deals due to its nefarious agenda towards the UK.
            India, last year the Uk saw almost 1 million Indians relocate to the Uk (work, family live) whats the first thing that the PM did when he visited the motherland, he signed a deal to allow even more Indians in. Currently India (as well as China) is taking part in the BRICs meeting in South Africa. A lot of the third world want to join and their entire focus is to end the West as a power block and replace it with their own way of government.  
            So if you are able to reply to any of the above, please do, as it appears you haven’t scoped out and taken a snap shot of the bigger picture where we have a large number of political elites who want to get into bed with both because theres money to be made (looks at Hammond)

      • I largely disagree. French and Italian shipyards have managed to win a steady stream of frigate export orders in the 2020’s, many of them high-end FREMM’s. The ability to deliver quickly is key, resulting in units half-built for the French and Italian Navy’s being sold and replacements ordered. There are plenty of opportunities for the A140, although the often hoped for orders from Chile and New Zealand now seem unlikely in the next few years. The Armada de Chile just can’t get the necessary funding approved, and New Zealand is now talking mid-2030’s for replacing its two ANZAC’s.

        • Slightly off Topic, the French have just recently sold India 26 Rafale fighter jets and three Scorpene class submarines, meanwhile the Uk has just increased the aid budget to India by 70%, that India which is about to land a rocket on the moon. The French are most aggressive when it comes to selling stuff, I was once on a flight to El Salvador sat next to me was somebody from the FO (we were both travelling to the Embassy) he was really angry over how British business took a laid back attitude to selling stuff, he stated that they expected the customer to come to them citing the landrover discovery as a vehicle in huge demand across South America and yet the British didn’t want to sell it there. it took the indians to buy Landrover before a factory building landrovers in Brazil for the South American market was built in 2014. The first factory of its sort in South America by any British company.

          • We did a pretty good job selling Typhoon to Saudi, Qatar and Kuwait. Though you would think we would have more sway with Commonwealth nations like India and Australia. Typhoon would have been perfect for Australia instead of F18.

          • India sailed a long time ago – and they hold grudges… just speak to my Sri Lankan wife: she has a memory like an elephant too… I said “What? When? Sorry, at what time, 5 years ago???”
            (True dit).

            So to think of the Indian sub continent as Allies is to totally misread the situation – as much as both of us think it would be common sense.

            Task and Purpose, Chris Cappy has done some very interesting Youtubes recently and one involves the Rus, Indi, China triangle.

          • Agree. The UK’s positioning of India as a diplomatic and military counter to China will backfire. India is in the Soviet camp and will defend its border with China but no more. In any trade agreement India will eat our breakfast and disadvantage our own young people. It’s not at all clear to me that Modi’s Hindu nationalist India treats ethnic and religious minorities like Christians and Muslims any better than China treats those minorities. Any dealing with India should be at arms length. On the other hand deals with Poland should be encouraged. Poland is growing economically stronger and they have taken on the mantle of spiritual leadership of Europe from the so called Franco-German ‘locomotif’. I subscribe to the view that Polish squadrons in the battle of Britain made the difference – they have faith. I would also encourage deals with Italy which is leading Europe out of its spiritual swamp. Come the next election I am hoping to vote for Brothers of Italy if they put up any candidates in the UK 🙂

          • Yes of course. No disrespect intended. Just making a point about friends. We used India in a 19c imperial chess game as the British Empire’s counter to the expansion of the Russian empire. That didn’t work out too well! To expect India to come riding on an economic white horse to save us from ourselves us naive at best, suicidal at worst.

          • It may seem difficult but I wouldn’t give up on India. IMHO one day soon, the page may turn in some circles.

          • It’s not the difficulty that worries me; on the contrary it’s the easiness. India is a seedy culture which when combined with Tory nepotism make for a dangerous combination, beside which the NHS looks like a bastion of enlightened meritocracy!

          • Sadly I agree about India holding grudges. Bollywood has been busy rewriting history for so long now it has become endemic with the elite. I meet many students from the subcontinent but history I dont touch, so find its best to stick with Cricket and shared interests and things go swimmingly.
            Farouk mentioned LandRover. I knew their agent for SE Asia and he said it was a door waiting to be pushed open but LR never responded fast enough till too late. Same with MG in the USA. Between them sleepy management who gave up too esily and the Unions were the perfect weapon to destroy British industry and British owned everything.
            People dont perhaps realise there is a thriving industry in the USA busily rebuilding Defenders from the wheels up and selling them as new for $$$! The best thing LR could do would be to reopen the production line -Immediately and make a utility version.

          • Typhoon wasnt around when the F18 was bought to replace Mirages in late 70s and delivered from 1985

          • Australia bought the F/A18-F as a strike fighter for maritime & land attack (replacing the F-111 fighter bomber), with a dedicated strike console & operator in the rear seat. Typhoon is not normally regarded as a strike specialist.

          • Many Indians in India, especially in the civil service, absolutely detest the UK. There is no way they will buy warships from the UK unless it meant access to global cutting edge technology.

          • I think it must feel bad thinking someone else was running your country. Looking at it objectively loads of people in the UK still resent Thatcher who shook up the system for good or bad. We occasionally have to remind ourselves what did the Romans do for us? Many of the same issues.

          • They have done what either aid budget! It’s madness. It’s ok keeping the same or slowly reducing with perhaps an agreement with the Indian government to pick up the bill.
            If their government can’t be arsed helping its people but can get a large military, nuclear weapons, nuclear submarines, aircraft carriers 30+ fast jet squadrons, space program they don’t need aid!
            Perhaps joint businesses employing people who would be receiving aid would be a better use of some of the money.
            When India is wealthier than the U.K. will it give the U.K. aid?

          • When minorities feel aggrieved and persecuted, with no State support, how easy do we make it for them to claim asylum in the UK, because of our past empire?

            India/China/despots in general are never going to fund those minorities. I’ll let you do the maths with enabling them to stay in their own countries or come to the UK.

            £1 to charity, Pakistani Christians will be making claims because of what has just happened to them.

          • Landrover-Jaguar hasnt been British owned since 1990 when US Ford bought it as part of its “premier” brands group

            It would be Detroit who decided not to spend a few $100 mill on a new factory in Brazil at that time.
            There probably wasnt the broad range of cars they have now , as the Brzil factory will produce the Evoque- Disco Sport twin models , the smallest of those available.

    • Yes its not going to go down well in some circles but the fact is UK has atrophied and denigrated metal bashing for so long Babcocks probably have no alternative. The Poles are hard working and smart; the Scots have done that and should relearn the virtuous circle.

      • Their coast line on Baltic is only 500 miles. 8 5000 tone frigates seems to be over the top especially since their land and airforces are the bigger priority
        The 2000 ton corvette class they have now seems to meet their needs better rather than more than 3 frigates

          • Black Sea is closed to naval vessels by Turkiye except their own. Unless it comes down the Danube and is about 1200 tons

          • The Black and Asov Seas will, hopefully, return to normal sometime in the near future. If Russia loses the Crimea their Black sea fleet will still need to be kept in check. Expect Romania and Bulgaria to also upgrade their navies.

          • It seems that Turkey which controls the Bosporus will continue to ban the transit of all naval vessels. Rules out any body else bringing in including Russia . Ukraine Russia and Romania are the only ones with naval shipyards

          • Russia has had big plans for a Black Sea naval shipyard and is one of the reasons Putin wanted the Ukrainian coastline apart from rewarding his apparatchiks with a place in the sun to plant their deck chairs.

          • They already build light frigates at a shipyard on the sea and of course Sevastopol which remained a Russian base under a lease when Ukraine became independent- much like UK bases which remained on Cyprus

          • Sometimes you have to cast a critical eye over many many news reports.
            Theres a who litany of terms to cover the pre build stage . Letters of intent , options, main gate and so on. They often obscure more than they reveal.
            Poland isnt going to buy more than 3 of these frigates

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