On Friday, January 19, 2024, at the Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard in Gdańsk, a ceremonial cutting of plates for the fifth minehunter of the 258 Kormoran II project marked the start of its construction. This is the second ship being constructed as part of the second order for serial units of this type. Currently, the ship is formally designated only with the construction number 258/5 and will receive the name ORP Rybitwa (Tern) and the ship number 605 in the future.
Sheet metal with the construction number 258/5 and the name Rybitwa / Photo: Przemysław Gurgurewicz, MILMAG
Numerous invited guests participated in the ceremony. From the military side, there were, among others: Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, the commanding officer of the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla, Captain Piotr Skóra, the head of the Maritime Technology Department at the Armament Agency, Captain Przemysław Karaś, the executive officer of 3rd Ship Flotilla, and Commander Sławomir Góra, the commanding officer of the 12th Minesweeping Squadron. Lieutenant Rafał Duszewski, designated as the future commanding officer of ORP Rybitwa, also attended the ceremony.
The cutting of the first sheet of the new minehunter was initiated by the CO of the 8th Coastal Defense Flotilla, Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, and the director of the 258/4-6 project, Robert Stola.
The contract for the construction of three additional serial ships of Project 258, worth 2.49 billion Polish złoty, was approved by the Minister of Defense on June 26, 2022. The entire trio is intended for the 12th Wolin Minesweeping Squadron stationed in Świnoujście.
Plasma cutting
The construction of the first ship of the second series – 258/4 (future Jaskółka, Swallow) is the most advanced by now, its construction began just under 10 months ago on March 28, 2023. The keel-laying ceremony took place on July 25 of the previous year, and the launch of the vessel is expected in June of the current year. According to the schedule, the ship should enter into service in July 2026. 258/5 (Rybitwa, Tern), whose construction started today, is expected to be delivered to the purchaser in March, while the last one, 258/6 (Czajka, Lapwing), is planned for October 2027.
Project 258/4-6 Director Robert Stola, Commander Piotr Skóra, the head of the Maritime Technology Department at the Armament Agency, and Professor Henryk Śniegocki, the President of the Polish Register of Shipping, during the signing of the certificate for the first steel cutting
The Project 258 minehunter is a vessel with a displacement of approximately 850 tons, a maximum length of 58.5 meters (55.58 meters between perpendiculars), a width of 10.3 meters, and a draft of 2.7 meters. The ship is powered by two eight-cylinder MTU 8V 396 TE74L diesel engines with a nominal power of 1000 kW (1360 HP) each, driving two cycloidal propulsion units Voith 21R5/160, allowing it to achieve a planned speed of 15 knots. Its range is about 2500 nautical miles, and it can operate autonomously for 10 days. The crew of Kormoran II consists of 45 people, including 7 officers.
The future commanding officer of ORP Rybitwa, Lieutenant Rafał Duszewski at the first sheet of metal of his ship
Ultimately, the artillery armament is planned to consist of a 35mm caliber AM-35 gun, which will serve as the primary element of the Shipboard Weapon System OSU-35K. The gun will be complemented by three heavy machine guns WKM-Bm caliber 12.7mm. For anti-aircraft defense, Grom man-portable air defense system launchers will be used (on the prototype Kormoran, a bow-mounted twin-barrel ZU-23-2MR Wróbel II gun with a caliber of 23mm was installed).
Commemorative plaque on the occasion of the launch of the fifth project 258 minehunter