The ship is built in the Naval Shipyard in Gdynia
on the basis of the hull and equipment taken from missile corvette project
Gawron (MEKO A-100) built in 2001. The plan is to build and transfer
the ship by November 2016. Adding up all the previously reported expenses,
the estimated cost of building a Silesian OPV is about 240 million euros
(1 billion zloty).
Along with the contracts for the purchase of equipment, the Ministry
of Economy signed agreement offsets with Thales Nederland BV and Thales
Electronic Systems GmbH. The offsets are worth 83 million Euro and
will be implemented over ten years. Polish companies and military
units will receive technologies required for servicing, repairing
systems (level OLM / ILM) and training package for operators of the
ship's crew.
The Slazak will be 95 meters long and will displace 2,150 tonnes.
The ship will use the corvette's propulsion in the form of turbines
that will generate a top speed of 30 knots, the same as high as for
the corvette. The ship will be armed with a 76mm automatic gun caliber
and two unmanned 30mm mounts. Additionally, it will be fitted with
a helicopter deck.
The Slazak will be the first new combat ship built for the Polish
Navy for 20 years. Her acquisition begins a naval modernization program
that will run until 2030. The plan also includes three submarines,
three missile corvettes, three OPVs and three mine-hunters.
Poland plans to spend annually about 240 million euros for the navy
modernization program.
