Nearly a two-decade long programme to build the Polish sole offshore patrol vessel, ORP Slazak (241), came to a near end in late November, as the OPV was commissioned by the Polish Navy. The ceremony took place during celebrations to mark the service’s 101st anniversary / Picture: Polish MoD
The commissioning ceremony took place on 28th November at the Naval Base in Gdynia. The event was presided by Poland’s Minister of Defence, Mariusz Blaszczak, and representatives of Polish Navy’s high command. According to the Polish MoD, ORP Slazak is expected to reach the Final Operational Capability in the coming months / Picture: Polish MoD
ORP Slazak was originally built as an ORP Gawron corvette, the first in a series of vessels of this class, which eventually never came to life. The vessel is based on the MEKO A-100 design from the German Blohm und Voss shipyard. According to the Polish Navy, during the next couple of months ORP Slazak will go through a series of trials. Their goal will be to confirm the vessel’s operational capabilities and conclude crew training / Picture: Polish MoD
The Polish OPR Slazak is 95.4m long and 13m wide. The vessels has a full displacement of 2200t. It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 30kt. It has a maximum range of 4500nm. ORP Slazak is armed with a 76mm OTO Melara SR naval gun, two 30mm Marlin-WS secondary weapons, four mounts for 12.7mm WKM-Bm machine guns and the same number of launchers for PPZR Grom air defence missile systems / Picture: Polish MoD
OPR Slazak is designed to support a wide range of operations, such as ASuW, AAW, patrol, anti-piracy or special forces. The vessel is capable of acting on the battlefield either as a sole, independent platform, protecting Poland’s shores, or as part of a multinational task force working on the open seas / Picture: Polish MoD
The commissioning of ORP Slazak was preceded by a series of acceptance trials conducted earlier this year. Their main goal was to demonstrate vessel’s performance and operational capabilities, including testing of its main systems and onboard equipment, such as the propulsion, observation equipment, like radars, and communications / Picture: Polish MoD