On 1 July 2025, two years after the keel was laid, the first radio-electronic reconnaissance ship ORP Jerzy Różycki was ceremoniously launched for the Polish Navy.
The launching and christening ceremony at Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdansk was attended by representatives of the Ministry of National Defence, the Armament Agency, including the Maritime Technology Office, the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Analysis Department P2, and contractors, i.e. Saab and Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. This was the launch of the first in a series of radio-electronic reconnaissance vessels acquired under the DELFIN programme.
The launching of the vessel marks a significant milestone in its construction process, following the steel cutting and keel laying, which took place in April and July 2023, respectively. Before entering service, the future ORP Jerzy Różycki will be equipped with the required reconnaissance systems and will undergo the necessary sea trials. The delivery of the first vessel to the Polish Navy is scheduled for 2027, followed by the second ship, ORP Henryk Zygalski.
The first ship in the series, codenamed DELFIN, was named ORP Jerzy Różycki – in tribute to the mathematician, an employee of the Cypher Bureau and a cryptologist who, during the interwar period, working in a team with Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski, contributed to breaking the code of the German Enigma encryption machine.
The ships are being built under a contract worth nearly EUR 600 million net, signed on 25 November 2022 between the State Treasury – Armament Agency and Saab Kockums AB, for the delivery of DELFIN radio-electronic reconnaissance ships. The aim is to enhance the capabilities of the Polish Armed Forces in the field of reconnaissance data acquisition, utilising maritime radio-electronic signal intelligence systems (SIGINT).
Photos: Robert Rozmus and Maciej Bielesz/ PortalMorski.pl