Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/1446249
Warships The launch of the Miecznik program in the summer, and the conclusion of an agreement by and between the Armament Inspectorate and a consortium of the Polish shipyards, on the delivery of three frigates to the Polish Navy has been an important element that attracted key suppliers to Kielce. The Spanish Navantia company presented a scale model of the Alvaro de Bazan class frigate - a cornerstone of its offer. The Griffin Group stand was used by tkMS to present the MEKO A200 model. Unfortunately, at the time, the configuration of the MEKO A300 version proposed to Poland was made confidential by the Polish. Furthermore, Lockheed Martin also publicized a model of the Spanish F110 frigate. This has been related to the use of numerous US- made components by Navantia. These could also be integrated into the Polish variant of Alvaro de Bazan. Unofficial information suggests that the US- based manufacturer may become a key supplier of many components for the new frigates, while Lockheed's track record related to cooperation with Navantia may be an important argument here. Babcock, the third contender, resigned from presenting the Arrowhead model interestingly. Alongside the frigates, Navantia also showcased its conventional S-80 submarine design. These are currently being built to meet the demands of the Spanish Navy and could potentially be interesting to Poland, within the framework of the Orka program. Unfortunately, the procurement of submarines in Poland has gone down the ladder of priorities. It is difficult to find any credible information on the fate of this program. Unofficial information suggests that the MoD abandoned the idea to procure second-hand A17 boats from Sweden. Currently, the Polish MoD plans to accelerate the procurement of brand-new submarines, hoping that one of the European shipbuilding companies would be interested. Alongside Navantia's proposal, tkMS presented a 212A sub model in Kielce. www.fragoutmag.com