Keel laying for 107/2 (Henryk Zygalski) reconnaissance ship

On Tuesday, January 23, 2024, a ceremony was held at the Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard in Gdańsk to lay the keel for the second project 107 radio-electronic reconnaissance ship. The construction of the ship, currently bearing only the construction number 107/2 (alternatively B107/2), began on November 15, 2023, with the first plates being cut. It will be named “Henryk Zygalski” in honor of the Polish mathematician and cryptologist, a member of the group led by Marian Rejewski, which broke the German Enigma cipher in January 1933.

The bottom section forming the keel of the hull of ship 107/2. / Photos: Przemysław Gurgurewicz, MILMAG

This is the second of two ships ordered under the Delfin program. The contract for their construction, valued at approximately 620 million euros (at the exchange rate on the day of signing, approximately 2.9 billion PLN or $645 million), was signed on November 25, 2022, between the Armament Agency and Swedish Saab Kockums AB. Saab is the main contractor, and Remontowa Shipbuilding in Gdańsk is responsible for assembling the completed ships and conducting all shipyard tests, both in dry dock and at sea.

Welding a commemorative medal to the keel

Both ships are expected to be ready for delivery to the ordering party in the years 2026-2027. The transfer of the first vessel, which will be named ORP Jerzy Różycki upon raising the flag, is scheduled to take place by December 15, 2026. The second unit, which will bear the name ORP Henryk Zygalski upon entering service, should be handed over in accordance with the contract by June 15, 2027. According to current information, the vessels will be given hull numbers 261 and 264, which are currently available numbers adjacent to the currently operated reconnaissance ships of project 863: ORP Nawigator and Hydrograf, bearing numbers 262 and 263.

Obverse and reverse of the commemorative medal minted on the occasion of laying the keel of the second Delfin

The reconnaissance ships of project 107 are based on the design of the Swedish reconnaissance ship HMS Artemis (A202), created by the Gdynia-based design office MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting. The construction of the HMS Artemis was also largely intended to take place in Poland at Saab’s request. They will replace two ships of project 863, which were built in the same shipyard (then known as Stocznia Północna, Northern Shipyard) nearly 50 years ago, with their flags raised on February 17, 1975, and May 8, 1976, respectively.

Signing the document confirming the laying of the keel. Signed by representatives of: the Armament Agency, Saab Kockums, Remontowa Shipbuilding and the DNV classification society…

…and the document itself

A commemorative photo of the ceremony participants with the keel in the background