On Monday, May 18, 2026, Poland’s Maritime Search and Rescue Service (MSPIR) announced the construction of new cabin-type specialized rescue vessels for the SAR Service, which will be named Poryw and Morka and will be of the SAR-1501 type.
Image and photos: MSPIR
Poryw and Morka are new cabin-type rescue boats being built for operations on the Vistula Lagoon and the Szczecin Lagoon, as well as in the zone up to 20 nautical miles from the Baltic Sea coast. The vessels will be intended, among other tasks, for:
- search and rescue of human life;
- medical evacuations;
- cooperation with SAR helicopters;
- firefighting and towing operations;
- support for pollution response operations.
Construction of the first vessel began on April 21 this year at the Swedish company Swede Ship Marine Aktiebolag, at its shipyard in Fagerfjäll, under a contract with the contractor signed in May 2025. The vessels will be approximately 14–16 m long, up to 5.5 m wide and have a draught of up to 0.9 m. They are expected to reach a speed of at least 30 kt. Their hulls are to be resistant to harsh conditions and allow operation in the area also in winter.
On February 17, 2026, MSPIR signed an agreement with the Centre for EU Transport Projects, CUPT, for co-financing No. FENX.05.07-IP.02-0001/25-00 of the project titled Construction and Purchase of New Specialized Rescue Vessels for the SAR Service, No. FENX.05.07-IP.02-0001/25.
Poryw and Morka are part of the Project, which covers a total of 12 vessels, including:
- one new multipurpose specialized rescue vessel;
- six new specialized SAR-2000 rescue vessels;
- three specialized rescue vessels, or specialized boats, for combating oil pollution in sheltered and shallow waters.
The planned total cost of the Project is 455,082,352.95 PLN. The estimated EU contribution is 386.82 million PLN. The project implementation period is from the third quarter of 2024 to the second quarter of 2029.
Program: European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate, Environment 2021–2027; Priority: V Support for the transport sector from the ERDF; Measure: FENX.05.07 Maritime safety and inland waterways outside the TEN-T, or Trans-European Transport Network.
The project is of strategic importance within the meaning of Article 2(5) of the General Regulation.
The main objective of the project is to improve the safety of maritime navigation in Poland’s response zone by providing MSPIR with additional equipment. The project will have an impact on current and future users, both individuals and businesses, operating in the Baltic Sea within Poland’s response zone, namely:
- crews of merchant ships;
- crews and passengers of ocean-going passenger ships and ferries;
- crews of recreational vessels;
- fishermen;
- maritime personnel servicing offshore installations and equipment.
