On 4 February 2026, a keel-laying ceremony for the rescue vessel Ratownik was held at PGZ Naval Shipyard. This modern unit will strengthen the Polish Navy’s rescue capabilities and support the protection of critical undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the highest state and military authorities: Secretary of State at the Ministry of National Defence Stanisław Wziątek; Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of State Assets Konrad Gołota; Inspector of the Navy Vice Admiral Jarosław Ziemiański; and Vice Admiral Jarosław Wypijewski, representing the Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces, General Wiesław Kukuła. Also present were Deputy Governor of the Pomeranian Voivodeship Emil Rojek, Vice President of the Polish Armaments Group Jan Grabowski, as well as representatives of the Armament Agency, the Navy Command, and programme partners.
During the ceremony, a commemorative medal – a traditional symbol marking the beginning of a ship’s hull construction – was welded into the keel structure. A classification document was also signed with the participation of representatives of the Polish Register of Shipping, the Armament Agency, and PGZ Naval Shipyard.
“The keel of Ratownik is another milestone in a programme that will provide the Polish Navy with rescue capabilities suited to contemporary challenges. By building frigates and a rescue vessel in parallel, the shipyard confirms its readiness to carry out the most demanding projects,” said Marcin Ryngwelski, President of the Management Board of PGZ Naval Shipyard.
Strategic importance of the programme
Ratownik will replace the ageing vessels ORP Piast and ORP Lech, which have served in the Polish Navy for over 50 years. The new ship will primarily provide rescue support for the future submarines of the Orka programme. It will also be capable of conducting advanced operations related to the protection of critical infrastructure on the Baltic seabed, including undersea cables and pipelines.
The vessel will be equipped with a hyperbaric complex featuring decompression chambers, a diving bell, and systems enabling cooperation with the NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS), ensuring interoperability with allied rescue forces. Ratownik will be able to conduct operations at depths of up to 300 metres and operate for several dozen days without resupply. The ship will also feature a helicopter landing deck and ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) for seabed inspection.
Technical specifications
Ratownik will be approximately 96 metres long and 19 metres wide, with a maximum displacement of around 6,500 tonnes. The vessel’s range will be approximately 6,000 nautical miles, with a maximum speed of 16 knots. The crew will consist of 100 personnel, plus an additional nine specialist staff.
The keel laid during the ceremony measures 9.2 metres in length, 18 metres in width, and between 1.1 and 1.7 metres in height. It weighs 50.5 tonnes and was made of high-strength Polish steel. In addition to hull work, outfitting tasks were carried out on it, including reinforcements and foundations. Further hull sections are already in production in parallel.
Programme implementation
The Ratownik programme is being carried out by a consortium consisting of Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa S.A., PGZ Naval Shipyard Ltd., and the Research and Development Centre for Maritime Technology (OBR CTM S.A.). The contract value amounts to PLN 1.257 billion gross.
Key specialist systems are being supplied by the British company JFD, a global leader in submarine rescue. Navigation systems are provided by OSI Maritime Systems, propulsion is supplied by the German company Schottel, while OBR CTM is responsible, among other things, for the ship’s command system and underwater observation systems.
According to the schedule, steel cutting took place on 26 November 2025. Launching is planned for 2027, with delivery of the vessel to the Polish Navy scheduled for 2029.
Ratownik is the first vessel of this type to be built at PGZ Naval Shipyard and represents another – following the Miecznik-class frigates and the Kormoran II minehunters – surface ship acquisition programme for the Polish Navy being implemented in domestic shipyards.
