According to the Armament Inspectorate, which acts on behalf of the Polish Ministry of Defense (MoD), the department might be forced to cancel a number of planned procurement or modernization programmes of the Polish Navy. The MoD’s investment budget will most likely be affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which will result in the need for revision of Poland’s state funds and government expenditure.

The Polish MoD might be forced to cancel a number of planned procurement or modernization programmes of the Polish Navy / Picture: Polish MoD

The Polish MoD might be forced to cancel a number of planned procurement or modernization programmes of the Polish Navy / Picture: Polish MoD

It seems that the modernization of a series of Orkan-class fast attack crafts will be one of the first programmes, which will have to be delayed or even cancelled, due to the revisions of Polish MoD’s investment priorities. A number of onboard systems, such as the Sea Giraffe 3-D radar and TACTICOS Combat Management System, were expected to undergo overhaul and upgrade. Furthermore, the Orkan vessels were also supposed to receive new propulsion systems as well as a new 57mm BAE Systems Bofors Mk3 naval gun.

Most likely the Polish Navy will also have to cancel the Murena programme, which calls for the procurement of six light FACs. Furthermore, the future of two most crucial Polish Navy’s programmes, Orka and Miecznik – the former calls for the procurement of a number of conventional submarines, while the latter is about acquisition of new coastal defense vessels – is also very blur at the moment (Poland’s procurement goals for 2020, 2020-01-02).