The vessel was named Henryk Zygalski in honor of the mathematician and cryptologist who was part of the group whose work contributed to breaking the cipher of the German Enigma encryption machine in January 1933. The ship’s godmother was Beata Jurkowlaniec, the wife of Rear Admiral Mirosław Jurkowlaniec, who in the past, among other posts, served as commander of the Reconnaissance Ships Group from 2002 to 2007, and earlier commanded the reconnaissance vessel ORP Nawigator.
Prepared for launching, the second reconnaissance vessel of Project 107 Delfin / Photos: Przemysław Gurgurewicz, MILMAG
Among the numerous invited guests were, among others: Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Paweł Bejda; the Ambassador of Sweden to Poland, Martina Quick; Vice President of Saab Kockums Lars Brännström; Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jarosław Ziemiański; Vice Admiral Jarosław Wypijewski, representing the Chief of the General Staff; Deputy Head of the Armament Agency, Brig. Gen. Michał Marciniak; Head of the Intelligence and Reconnaissance Analysis Directorate (P2), Brig. Gen. Mieczysław Bieniek; Commander of the Maritime Operations Center, Vice Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski; Head of the Armament Directorate at the Navy Inspectorate, Rear Admiral Włodzimierz Kułagin; Head of the Maritime Directorate and Deputy Inspector of the Navy, Rear Admiral Mirosław Jurkowlaniec; Commander of the 3rd Ship Flotilla, Rear Admiral Andrzej Ogrodnik; and Commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla, Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora.
Due to very poor weather conditions, strong winds and icing caused by freezing rain, the vessel’s launching procedure did not begin immediately after the christening ceremony and was postponed until weather conditions improve.
After the ship’s godmother spoke the words, “Sail the seas and oceans of the world, bringing fame to the shipbuilders and the Polish sailor; I name you Henryk Zygalski,” the traditional champagne bottle was smashed against the ship’s hull.
The two Project 107 signals intelligence (SIGINT) vessels currently under construction are planned to be delivered to the customer in 2027–2028. They will then enter service with the Reconnaissance Ships Group of the 3rd Ship Flotilla, replacing two 50-year-old Project 863 vessels: ORP Nawigator and ORP Hydrograf, which were commissioned on February 17, 1975, and May 8, 1976, respectively.
The Project 107 vessels were designed by the Gdynia-based design bureau MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting. They are a development of the earlier Swedish reconnaissance vessel HMS Artemis. While the specifications of the Polish ships have not been disclosed, the Swedish prototype, at a full displacement of approximately 2,300 tons, has a length of 74.6 meters, a beam of 14 meters, and a draft of 3.8 meters.
After the christening ceremony, the reconnaissance vessel Henryk Zygalski was enveloped in a cloud of white-and-red confetti
The role of signals intelligence (SIGINT) vessels is to collect all types of information on an adversary’s electromagnetic emissions, using equipment that enables the interception and analysis of all kinds of radio signals, whether from communications systems or other devices emitting electromagnetic waves, such as radars. Although both Polish reconnaissance vessels have been repeatedly modernized and gradually equipped with new intelligence-gathering systems, quite apart from their age, the new units will provide far more efficient integration of collected data and its subsequent processing. It should be noted that SIGINT vessels are only one element of the broader intelligence structure operating within the Polish Armed Forces. Relevant data are also collected by other units, including the 6th Radio-Electronic Center, the 2nd Radio-Electronic Center, and the Center for Intelligence and Electronic Warfare Support. Crucially, the speed of data fusion from all sources and its processing is of fundamental importance in delivering comprehensive intelligence information.
The contract for the construction of two new reconnaissance vessels was signed on November 25, 2022, between the Agencja Uzbrojenia and Saab Kockums. Its disclosed value at the time was approximately 620 million EUR, equivalent to about 2.9 billion PLN. The agreement covered the design, construction, delivery, and in-service support of the vessels. Saab appointed the Gdańsk-based shipyard Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. as the general contractor for building the new units. The shipyard is responsible for constructing the completed vessels and conducting all shipyard trials, both alongside and at sea. The Swedish side, in turn, is fully responsible for supplying the specialized reconnaissance equipment and its integration.
Henryk Zygalski in the dock after the completion of the christening ceremony. The next stage will be launching; to this end, the dock must first be moved away from the shipyard quay
Construction of the first unit, 107/1, began with steel cutting on April 27, 2023. Three months later, on July 27, 2023, the keel was laid, and on July 1, 2025, the vessel was launched and christened, receiving the name Jerzy Różycki. It was also assigned the hull number 261.
Steel cutting for the second unit, 107/2, took place on November 15, 2023. The keel-laying ceremony was held on January 23, 2024, and yesterday—on January 14, 2026—during the christening ceremony, the vessel received the name Henryk Zygalski.
The ceremony was also accompanied by the reconnaissance vessel ORP Hydrograf, which in a few years will be replaced by the new Project 107 Delfin vessels
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