PGZ Stocznia Wojenna held a ceremony to lay the keel for the second frigate of the Miecznik programme – Burza. This is another important stage in the largest shipbuilding project currently underway in Poland. The ships, built by the PGZ – MIECZNIK Consortium, will strengthen the defence capabilities of the Polish Navy.
On 18 December 2025, a ceremony was held to lay the keel for the second of three multi-purpose frigates of the Miecznik programme. The ceremony was attended by, among others, Paweł Bejda, Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defence, Konrad Gołota, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of State Assets, as well as representatives of the Navy Command, including Vice Admiral Jarosław Ziemiański, the Armament Agency, including Commander Piotr Skóra, and programme partners.
“The Miecznik programme is an important element in the modernisation of the Polish navy and shows that PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, part of the Polish Armaments Group, is capable of implementing projects of strategic importance for national security. Another milestone in the construction of the Burza confirms that PGZ is systematically building the production capacity needed to implement long-term modernisation programmes. We are investing in infrastructure, technology and people because we know that a strong defence industry is the foundation of national sovereignty,” said Jan Grabowski, Vice-President of the Management Board of the Polish Armaments Group.
Marcin Ryngwelski, President of the Management Board of PGZ Stocznia Wojenna, emphasised that “The laying of the keel for Burza means that the shipyard is consistently and according to schedule implementing the next stages of the Miecznik programme. The first frigate, Wicher, is already at a very advanced stage of hull assembly, and today we are reaching an important milestone in the construction of the second vessel. The Miecznik programme is the greatest challenge in the history of the modern Polish shipyard, but it also confirms that we are ready to build ships in accordance with the highest technological standards. Each stage of the programme brings us closer to our goal of providing the Navy with vessels that meet its operational expectations.”
The keel, to which a medal was attached during the ceremony, is the bottom section of the future frigate, marked with the construction number 106/2. According to the requirements of the Lloyds Register classification society, it should weigh at least 1% of the hull weight or no less than 50 tonnes. The keel of the Burza meets these requirements with a significant margin – it weighs 127 tonnes, which is approximately 4.5% of the vessel’s hull weight. The structure is 24 metres long and 18 metres wide, and high-strength steel was used in its construction.
In addition to the hull work, the reinforcement and foundations have already been completed. At the same time, further sections are in production, including the second, adjacent section DB 05 and the bow sections. The progress of the work demonstrates the growing design maturity of the shipyard in the implementation of the Miecznik programme.
The Miecznik programme involves the construction of three new-generation multi-purpose frigates: Wicher, Burza and Huragan. The vessels will replace the ORP Gen. K. Pułaski and ORP Gen. T. Kościuszko frigates, which are being decommissioned, providing the Polish Navy with modern platforms with advanced capabilities in air defence and combating underwater and surface threats.
The Miecznik-class frigates are vessels with a displacement of approximately 7,000 tonnes and a length of nearly 140 metres. They will be equipped with modern systems for detecting, tracking and combating air, surface and underwater targets. Each of the frigates will be able to operate for several dozen days without the need to replenish supplies, which will provide the Navy with the ability to conduct long-term missions in the Baltic Sea and beyond as part of national and allied projects.
The programme is being implemented by the PGZ – MIECZNIK Consortium (Polish Armaments Group and PGZ Stocznia Wojenna) in cooperation with the British company Babcock International and a consortium of technology partners, including Thales and MBDA, who are supplying key weapon and threat detection systems.
After the ceremony, the guests visited the Hull Hall, where work is underway on the first frigate, Wicher.
