The sixth minehunter is under construction!

On Tuesday, 15 October 2024, a ceremony was held at Remontowa Shipbuilding SA in Gdańsk to cut the first steel for the construction of the sixth mine countermeasure vessel of the 258 Kormoran II type, the future ORP Czajka.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the Armament Agency, the Polish Navy, the Polish Register of Shipping, banks, insurance companies and entities directly involved in the construction of the ships, as well as representatives of both the Remontowa Holding group.

Among the guests were: Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, the commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla; Cmdr Piotr Skóra, Chief of the Naval Technology Headquarters in the Armament Agency; the deputy head of the Armament Board of the Naval Inspectorate – Commander Grzegorz Mucha, the commander of the 12th minesweeper squadron, Lieutenant Commander Sławomir Góra, as well as the future commander of the ship under construction, Navy Captain Marcin Krzywdziński, and Pomeranian Vice-Governor Emil Rojek.

There were also representatives from the consortium members, including the Research & Development Maritime Technology Centre JSC in Gdynia and PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia.

– This is a very good day for the Polish Navy, the armed forces, the shipbuilding industry and the Polish State. Looking at the experience of the conflict in Ukraine and how Poland supplies raw materials to the country, it is extremely important to have capabilities at sea, which are key capabilities when it comes to ensuring maritime communication routes. These ships provide that protection,’ said Commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora.

The plasma cutting machine was triggered by Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, accompanied by Project Director Robert Stola. The certificate for the first steel cutting was signed by Commander Piotr Skóra from the Armament Agency, Grzegorz Pettke, CEO of the Polish Register of Shipping, and Robert Stola, Project Director, from the Remontowa Shipbuilding SA shipyard.

The future ORP Czajka, like the other two ships in the series under construction, which will be named ORP Jaskółka (604) and ORP Rybitwa (606), will serve in the 12th minesweeper squadron, stationed at the Swinoujscie Naval Base.

Photos: Sławomir Lewandowski / PortalMorski.pl