ORP Ślązak (2015)

In 1997 Poland was invited to join NATO and became a member state on 12 March 1999. In December 1997 representatives of the Ministry of National Defence and the Polish Navy selected a conceptual design for future multipurpose corvettes. Inquiries were sent to four foreign shipyards from the UK, the US, Germany and Sweden. The commission decided to go with the German MEKO A-100 corvette design by Blohm + Voss. The technical project was approved in 2001.[5] A final agreement with Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej (Naval Shipyard in Gdynia) was signed on 27 November 2001 for construction of one Projekt 621 (shipyard designation Gawron) corvette, a second (optional) and five consecutive (optional). At the same time the shipyard signed a licensing agreement worth PLN 60 million for the use of the MEKO A-100 concept.[6] The keel of the first ship was laid on 28 November 2001 in the presence of Poland's Prime Minister Leszek Miller.[7]

In 2000 and 2002 Polish Navy commissioned two ex-US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates and on 23 December 2002 financing was cut to a single corvette.[8] Unlike multirole combat aircraft acquisition financed separate of National Defence budget, the program wasn't a priority for the Armed Forces and suffered from insufficient funding. The cost was initially set at PLN 250 million per ship. In 2003 estimated total cost of a single Gawron-class corvette was estimated at PLN 850 million, in 2005 at around PLN 1.1 billion. Finally in 2012 the figures have grown to PLN 1.5 billion (EUR 360 mln).[6][9]

In 2007 a shipyard awarded Italian Avio a USD 10 million deal to provide CODAG propulsion system.[10] In 2008 the hull was at 80% completion when financial crisis broke up. In 2009 the defence budget was cut by 5 billion PLN.[11] This led to postpone the decision to order the combat systems worth PLN 824 million that was negotiated with Thales in 2008.[12] The ships planned armament included RIM-162 ESSM and RIM-116 RAM surface-to-air missiles, RBS-15 Mk 3 anti-ship missiles and MU90 Impact torpedoes.[9] On 16 September 2009 the hull already with engines, turbines, generators, line shafts and air-conditioners completed technical launching for the first time. At the same time the Ministry of Defence decided to suspend corvette financing.[13] In April 2011 the court declared Naval Shipyard's bankruptcy.[14] On 24 February 2012 Gawron program was cancelled.[15] At that time the hull was largely completed at the cost of 402 million PLN (~US$130m), but equipping it with combat systems would have cost an additional 1 billion PLN (~US$320m).[16] On 23 September 2013 an annex to 2001 construction contract was signed to complete the sole unit as patrol vessel.[17] Due to design changes the program code name was changed to Projekt 621M. ORP Ślązak modular design and systems allows to upgrade it to the corvette configuration in the future.[18]

In December 2013 Thales Group was selected as mission suite supplier for 100 million euro worth contract.[19] A contract with Thales for delivery of the integrated combat system for the Ślązak was signed in March 2014. The deal include TACTICOS Combat Management System, SMART-S Mk2 surveillance radar, STING-EO Mk2 fire control radar, MIRADOR electro-optical observation and fire control system and LINK 11/16 tactical data link system.[20]

On 2 July 2015 ORP Ślązak was christened during official launching ceremony, becoming the first new Polish-built Navy ship in 21 years,[21] since the minesweeper ORP Wdzydze (TRB 646) was launched in 1994. It was expected to be commissioned in November 2016,[22] however in 2016 the commissioning was delayed until 2018[23] and in 2018, until 2019.[24]

In 2016 the ship underwent systems trials, including engine room, power generators, fire control consoles and boats lifting and lowering hydraulic system.[25] It will be equipped with six-seat Markos MK-500 and fifteen-seat MK-790 rigid-hulled inflatable boats.[26] The units OTO Melara Super Rapid MF L/62 main gun was mounted on June 15, 2016.[27]

• Projekt 621 (typ Gawron) okretywojenne.mil.pl (in Polish)
• ORP “Ślązak” Launched. defence24.com