The UK Government has announced that the latest phase of Poland’s “Miecznik” (meaning “Swordfish” in Polish) frigates programme is set to commence, following agreements between three major UK defence contractors and the Polish Navy.
An agreement between MBDA UK and the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ) was signed this week, marking the third contract under the Miecznik programme with UK companies, following previous agreements with Babcock and Thales UK.
The first of the three multi-mission frigates is expected to be operational by 2029.
Investment Minister Lord Dominic Johnson commented on the significance of these agreements, stating, “Our defence exports are good for the economy and boost investment and jobs across the country. This agreement is a major vote of confidence in our world-class industrial expertise. Poland is a key partner for the UK, and this partnership will further strengthen the Polish fleet by putting some of the best UK capabilities behind it.”
These agreements will see the frigates built in Poland, accompanied by substantial technology and skills transfers, thereby enhancing the economic security of a key NATO ally.
Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge remarked, “It is a testament to our outstanding defence industry that our key NATO ally has chosen warships based on the AH140 design – a design utilised by the Type 31 Frigates soon to be in service with the Royal Navy. The ships will enhance the Polish fleet, bolster NATO capabilities and support interoperability between the UK and Poland. These agreements are also another example of the very close working relationship we have with our Polish counterparts, building on our progress in many areas of defence.”
Each UK company plays a pivotal role in the Polish frigate programme. Babcock, as the platform design provider and strategic technology partner, is responsible for the design licence agreement of its Arrowhead 140 frigate. Additionally, Babcock is a key member of the Programme Management Office overseeing the design and construction of the ships.
Thales UK is set to equip the frigates with the TACTICOS combat management system, along with various sensors and radars. MBDA UK will provide the Sea Ceptor naval air defence system, equipped with CAMM (Common Anti-Air Modular Missile) family missiles, which Poland has recently procured for ground-based air defence.
It’s all good news…. Poland is stepping up big time….
Agreed Frank, and making the right choices at the right time and in numbers.
Come 2030 they will have a very credible force with more to come apparently.
Poland obviously cannot trust its EU or NATO allies.
To be fair, given what we’ve have thus far seen out in the red sea, would you trust some of them?
Hence my comment.
I wouldn’t trust us.
They have a history of being invaded. They are, I think, sick of being invaded and want to be left as free Polish people. Their government are doing what our government have forgotten is the number one priority. The defence of the realm.
Agree
We definitely do not trust Germans :). As for others in NATO…Well, whole Estern Flank of The Alliance (plus Finland) is more than aware of the current situation so we are arming as fast and as heavy as possible. The UK is considered in Poland as our closest and most important European NATO ally and we believe that you wouldn’t leave us alone in time of need as we wouldn’t leave you.
A bit naive, but I do hope that your faith is not misplaced.
Perhaps the UK strategic deterrent is worth something after all.
Maybe I’m naive but on the other hand I don’t think that Putin would risk direct confrontation with NATO. His ruthless but not stupid.
OK.
As a matter of interest (I have been drinking port since midday), at what point was Hitler more stupid than ruthless?
Very fine lines.
Hitler should be dealt with in 1935, acctualy Polish gov proposed that to French and British gov about this time. Also Hitler had to start the war as his maniacal “rearming” of Germany cost them lots of money so they started to invade all around for loot.
Btw, curent Russia is not as powerful as former USSR (which wasn’t as strong as they were considered to be). What they want in my opinion is making Ukraine a weak country by taking richest parts like Donbas, Black See coast or Crimea. They also lost a lot of potential in this war so they have to rebuild it. In Poland we have one major dillema: how the others would come to our aid if necessary? We belive The UK will, maybe you’re slow but you always come. Anyway considered last engagement in major conflict we are building our land… Read more »
Maybe it’s time someone reads the actual wording of the March 1939 UK guarantee to Poland. It actually says “in the event of any action which threatens Polish Independence” no where does it say Germany or any other country nor is it time limited. So as far as I can see the same promise that got us into WW2 still applies. And it isn’t the 1st time Britain has gone to war over a very old and long forgotten treaty or promise. In 1914 we declared War on Germany for invading Belgium because of the 1839 Treaty of London. On… Read more »
I’m personally assured that The UK will come to our aid, Poland will do the same
Very interesting, these treaties must have been written in an era before government attorneys reigned supreme (would be pleased to offer the UK all surplus US attorneys on very favorable terms). 🤔😉😁
Invading Russia while still having an enemy in the west and Mediterranean…the third Reich should have never invaded Russia until it had finished business with the British empire..that was stupid on so many levels….but basically Hitler miss judges the UKs ability to contain the third Reich and keep fighting…especially in the med…as well as act as a supply corridor to Russia….if German had managed the British empire first ..focused on smashing through Egypt and into the levant and its oil fields, cutting the Suez Canal and access to the wider empire..and kept up the pressure on the home islands he… Read more »
Roosevelt was evidently quite concerned after the Fall of France and during the Battle of Britain that if the British were invaded and conquered, the RN would not become the principal component of an enhanced (Kriegsmarine.sp?) as a spoil of war. Harry Hopkins spent a significant amount of time and energy on contingency planning for that scenario (mostly attempting to ensure that the various fleets had orders to sail to American ports under that circumstance).
counter History is always a bit of fun and nothing more, but I would have said that the UK would have either:
1) been forced into a true neutrality ( no invasion but defeated in Africa, the med, strangled in the North Atlantic).
2) forced to fight in the home islands with with government retreating to Canada.
You would not likely have seen the same level of collapse and collaboration as seen in the third republic.
Agree, the Brits and Poles have a natural affinity–past, present and future (from the Poles’ perspective, at least partially due to past Nazi and subsequent Orc occupation) and the Brits’ geopolitical specialization in developing counter-balancing alliances. Additionally, the Poles realize that the UK will be a potential supplier of leading-edge military equipment, especially over the longer term, as a result of AUKUS participation. Hopefully, the Orcs are not tempted by visions of re-creating empire in the interim…🤔😳🤞
For us The UK is natural ally, just look on the map. But we also expect to be treated as equal not just (“ex commie”) poor guys.
Actually, past contributions and sacrifices of Free Polish forces in previous conflicts (e.g., Op. Market Garden), are well documented in the history texts. However, it may prove beneficial to occasionally remind subsequent generations.
If you ever visit Italy go and take a tour around Monte Cassino.
The Polish Cemetary is just breath takingly spectacular.
“For our freedom and yours we Soldiers of Poland gave our soul to God, our lives to the soil of Italy, our hearts to Poland.”
If you take a look at the equipment Poland has ordered they are heading towards having the Strongest Army in Europe.
Nearly 2000 K2pl, M1 Abram’s and Leopard 2 MBT just for starters.
And if they are like their Grandfathers they will fight with the Fury of Gods own Thunder.
Thanks, would be pleased to add Monte Cassino to the European bucket list. 😊👍 Did not realize how instrumental a role the Polish II Corps (as well as British XIII Corps) had in the final battle. Previously thought the campaign was principally an Anglo-American proposition, but indeed, it involved a broad coalition of Allied forces. 🤔😳
To be honest most people have a fair bit of respect for the Polish , there are rather a lot of you guys over here and there have been for a fair while. As for the commie thing, Poland was alway seen as a victim of the USSR and communism, not part of it..solidarity and Lech walesa were staple parts of the Cold War BBC news reporting. Also there were any number of Polish war veterans who could never good home after fighting for Britain..and that’s part of our UK national story as well…I had the privilege of looking after… Read more »
I once heard a story about the Polish WW2 destroyer Blyskawica that defended Cowes from German raids in WW2. According to a relative who has spent a lot of time on Polish railways, the price list for entry is in multiple languages. In English the listed price is half, for german, it is double.
I think the one thing you can probably depend on is the Anglo-Saxon mentality around the best form of national defence is to not let aggressors get away with swallowing other nations…it’s led us to trouble sometimes but generally not…the UK would probably be the very last nation to give up on NATO. Saying that, the UKs ability to impact on a land campaign in Central Europe would always be limited ( we are better at containing and weakening). So Polands present aim of creating a very potent land force is a very good idea as it’s likely the UK… Read more »
Agree, UK’s principal contribution to Polish defence would be RN participation (including RM and CASD), closely followed by RAF contribution, then by selected elements of the Army. The Army contribution would increase over time, especially if such a conflict evolved into a WWI style campaign of attrition (ala UKR conflict). 🤔
Uh, huh…actually your answer is largely anticipated; relatively few trust the French, and virtually no one trusts the Germans. The British, like a volunteer fire brigade, will probably show up, no matter how ill-equipped the then current HMG renders them. A helluva way to run a railroad, let alone a military alliance. Rant over. 😱☹️
I believe after the 3 frigates they’ve ordered there’s an option within the contract for another 5.
To think the Polish Navy could in the near future end up operating 8 large/modern frigates with their small coastline when the RN is currently struggling to retain 10 and will be the 2030’s have 13 says all you need to know about how seriously the Polish take their sovereignty and defence vs the UK!
Indeed, we’re walking on eggshells with terrible strength. That’s why Xi & Putin etc feel so confident.
It makes me wonder where a lot of defence budget goes.
We do have a relatively large budget and we should be able to afford quite a large navy. Does a lot of it go towards our nuclear deterrent, or is it just mismanagement of funds as well as odd things like pensions being included in the budget?
The problem is you cannot look at the amount you have to look at what you need and then spend it..in the. 1980s we spent close to 6% of our GDP on defence now it’s 2%…the big issue is that now is actually more deadly than the 1980s but our political classes and populations are still living in some form of post Cold War end of history peace dividend time..not realising history has re armed and is gunning for the west.
Has anyone checked the Polish actually have the money for all this? We don’t want a repeat of the South Korean tank debacle where Poland believed they were getting some kind of main dealership 0% finance deal.
The US seems happy with their deal at least. Poland receives more M1A1 MBTs and M-ATVs10 January 2024 The Polish Armament Agency announced in a press release that a US shipment of 29 more M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks (MBTs) and 79 Mine-Resistant Ambush-Protected (MRAP) All-Terrain Vehicles (M-ATVs) arrived at the Polish Port of Świnoujście on 6 January, followed two days later by the unloading of the vessel. The delivery followed an earlier US shipment that also arrived at Świnoujście on 21 November 2023 with 26 M1A1s and nine M88A2 Hercules armoured recovery vehicles. Poland received its first company of… Read more »
Presumably the M1A1s will ultimately be remanufactured to M1A2 SEPv3 standard, as time and budget conditions permit? Could be shipped back to Lima, OH, or, alternatively, a facility in PL could be modified/established. 🤔
Quite possibly, I think the current goal is to get as much equipment as possible in the shortest amount of time into their armed forces to deter or defend against Russia.
They plan to manufacture up to 1,000 K2 Black Panthers so why not.
Of course it has money. It is not difficult to find money for this. Only in West it is.
It’s a question of priorities. The Polish economy is doing relatively well and they are highly focused on developing their domestic defense industrial base, which means defense spending feeds back into local employment etc.
That’s a big reason why UK suppliers have made significant inroads, because we are willing to do genuine partnership deals and technology sharing, unlike the US who mostly just want to sell stuff.
We have money for lots of unnecessary things like public education so we will find money for defence. Poland is also no longer poor country like 20 years ago.
Your economy isn’t THAT big. Poland is spending like a high school girl with daddies credit card. Has any consideration been made for when all these new assets reach expiry? This is the trap we fell into of feast and famine, and domestic industry just gave up trying to maintain capability for decades just to scrabble about for ever shrinking orders. You need to build in a timetable of continual development and construction agreed across political parties. And pray that it isn’t too late.
Your economy isn’t THAT big. Poland is spending like a high school girl with daddies credit card. Has any consideration been made for when all these new assets reach expiry? This is the trap we fell into of feast and famine, and domestic industry just gave up trying to maintain capability for decades just to scrabble about for ever shrinking orders. You need to build in a timetable of continual development and construction agreed across political parties. And pray that it isn’t too late. Look how often we hit capability gaps now, and end up having to buy from abroad… Read more »
Well this is a problem in the west, no production capability. Do we make it better? No, nobody cares. BTW polish economy is strong enough to maintain strong military, only we spend to much money on things like public health care or education for morons.
If you start skimming on health and education, you won’t have people fit to fight or maintain your industrial capacity. What’s the point of a state that only exists to fight wars? Poland is a nation and whatever territories it currently resides on should be utilised for the betterment of the Polish nation, its people. If you can’t do that you may as well throw in your lot with a neighbouring power.
Public education does nothing positive to people, same with health care. Both of it should be private.
I don’t think I could disagree more with that. While I am disgusted at what recently passes for an education or curriculum, education cannot be left only to the wealthy.
I don’t think it would be left to the wealthy. Modern public education crates only dumber and dumber generations one after another, ask anyone on the streets about basic knowledge like who is in charge of the state and why.
I agree there are currently (last 50 years?) big problems in state education with agenda politics and not enough “3r’s” but you don’t burn the house down to dry a mouldy carpet.
That is an extreme and thankfully minor view!
It doesn’t mean it’s not right because it’s “minor”.
Good news.
I’m really hoping the day will come when the government (Labour or Tory) finally provide cold war level of funding to defence. Because whilst T26 and T31 are under construction it will be a very easy way of increasing the size of the fleet. Double the T26/31 order and take on extra staff to work 24/7 so delivery time-frames aren’t pushed to decades away.