Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1407425
Summary One should remember, when discussing the process that is re- ferred to as the "modernization of the Navy in Poland", that the tragic condition in which the Navy finds itself is a result of de- cisions made by almost every government, regardless of who wins the election. It is a challenge to find a reasonable, rational explanation. The maritime trade is booming. Ports and terminals are a major investment (such as DCT). Finally, all political parties are in favor of laying a foundation for Polish energy security in the sea routes. This has been expressed by the establishment of the LNG terminal facility in Świnoujście, or the ongoing construction of the Baltic Pipe pipeline, that would feed gas coming from the Norwegian deposits to Poland, via Denmark. Another dimension is offshore energy development, in a form of sea wind farms. The activities above are in a contrast with the demolition and liq- uidation of the Navy, the only branch of the military that remains in possession of a capability to protect the aforesaid invest- ments. The problem tied to the modernization of the Polish Navy can also be seen at the institutional level, as there is no, single, coherent vision of the Navy's future. Two documents are cover- ing the matter, with major differences between them. "Strategic Concept of Maritime Security of the Republic of Poland" ("Strate- giczna Koncepcja Bezpieczeństwa Morskiego RP"), published by the Presidential National Security Bureau in 2017, and "Republic of Poland Defense Concept" ("Koncepcja Obronna RP") issued by the Polish MoD, during the same year. The documents go to extreme opposites when defining the tasks of the Polish Navy, and the assets that it should utilize to effectively carry them out. Considering the above matters, the ever-changing procurement priorities are not a surprise. The focus has shifted recently from the acquisition of new submarines, and second-hand surface combatants, to second-hand submarines and brand new surface vessels, and ultimately, none of the above programs were even launched. This stagnation, leading to an apocalypse, is not an ac- cident. It seems to be desirable for the politicians in power, as it makes it possible to save money and shift the responsibility to the succeeding government. One should not hope that this vi- cious circle would be broken. One may only hope that Poland will not be forced to pay, for the mistakes made by the political elites. www.fragoutmag.com