Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1258433
partner is the way to go. This, on the other hand, would mean that a foreign design could be adapted to meet the Polish requirements and conditions. The selection is a decision that is political, and its shape de- pends both on the tactical and technical factors, as well as on the strategic conditions. In the current setting this means that defining the group of potential partners and the list of designs they offer is easy - the list is limited. Only after the decision is made, as to what direction shall be adopted in the collaborative effort, then further steps can be taken when it comes to the participation of the domestic industry. And so it happens all around the world. As stressed by the representatives of the facility, the matter does not boil down to the selection of a single project/de- sign - that would be too simple. The design would need to be tailored, from the process/execution perspective to the tech- nical conditions, as it usually happens all around the world. Each of the facilities as such has a different set of capacities and infrastructure. The potential available at the PGZ SW, as well as the technical assets, altogether make it possible to build vessels in line with the design that is ultimately select- ed. A similar approach could be adopted in case of modern- ization efforts undertaken with regards to the underwater as- sets, either through upgrades of second-hand vessels or via procurement of new ones. One shall remember though, a scenario in which a foreign Obviously, the role of the Polish industry is of key relevance, in the further modernization projects undertaken with the Polish Navy in mind. The PGZ War Shipyard is also involved in the Kormoran mine countermeasure vessels program, in the role of a partner. The shipyard has been assigned the task of delivering navigation and communication systems. Together with the Canadian OSI Maritime Systems company, PGZ SW would be delivering integrated navigation bridges, tactical navigation systems, also providing the support for the user, once the vessels are commissioned. PGZ SW is one of the entities tasked with building a rescue vessel. The agreement envisages that one vessel is built, with another one being optional. The programs related to new surface combatants or to up- grades of the existing ones (such as the Orkan-class missile vessels) remain the most interesting here. One shall remem- ber that in the case of those programs, political decisions are of key importance. This is especially pronounced in case of the undertaking that is potentially the most serious one, namely the Miecznik [Swordfish] program aimed at the pro- curement of light frigates. Considering the fact that never before has Poland under- taken a program as such, the autonomous development of frigates or equivalent vessels would be an undertaking that could entail a high cost, let alone be time-consuming. Natu- rally though, launching a collaborative project with a foreign www.fragoutmag.com