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Polish Navy

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"PMW" redirects here. For other uses, seePMW (disambiguation).
Polish Navy
Marynarka Wojenna
Military eagle
Military eagle
Founded24 March 1568 (Sea Commission)
1626 (Commission of Royal Ships)
1918 (Polish Navy)
CountryPoland
BranchNavy
Size12,000+ (2022)[1]
Part ofPolish Armed Forces
HeadquartersGdynia
EngagementsIraq War
Commanders
Commander-in-ChiefAndrzej Duda
Minister of National DefenceWładysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Chief of the General StaffGeneralWiesław Kukuła
General CommanderGeneralLech Majewski
Operational Commandergen. broniTomasz Piotrowski[pl]
Inspector of the Navywadm.Jarosław Ziemiański[pl]
Insignia
Flag[2]
Naval Ensign
Naval Jack

ThePolish Navy(Polish:Marynarka Wojenna,lit. 'War Navy'; often abbreviated toMarynarka) is thenavalbranchof thePolish Armed Forces.The Polish Navy consists of 46 ships and about 12,000 commissioned and enlisted personnel. The traditionalship prefixin the Polish Navy isORP(Okręt Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej,"Warship of the Republic of Poland" ).

Origins[edit]

Main article:Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Navy

The Polish Navy has its roots in naval vessels that were largely employed on Poland's main rivers in defense of trade and commerce. During theThirteen Years' War(1454–66), a small force of ships that primarily operated on rivers and lakes saw real open sea battles for the first time. At theBattle of Vistula Lagoon,a combined fleet of theKingdom of Polandand the pro-PolishPrussian Confederationdecisively defeated the navy of theTeutonic Knights,and secured permanent access to the Baltic Sea. In 1454, the maritime city ofGdańskwas re-incorporated to Poland after being previouslyoccupied by the Teutonic Knightssince 1308. The reintegration was confirmed in theSecond Peace of Thorn (1466),[3]and Poland acquired the means of maintaining a large fleet on the Baltic. In 1561, following a victory over aRussianfleet in the Baltic, the Polish Navy acquired a second key port atRiga,in modern-dayLatvia.

TheBattle of Oliwa,fought during thePolish–Swedish War,resulted in a Polish victory on 28 November 1627

At that time, as the Kingdom of Poland and theGrand Duchy of Lithuania(Polish–Lithuanian union) became involved inconflicts in Livonia,Polish kingSigismund II Augustusorganized a Sea Commission (Komisja Morska) which operated between 1568 and 1572, and supported the operations of Polishprivateers,but that met with opposition of the Poland's primary port,Gdańsk,which saw them as a threat to its trade operations (seeHanseatic League).[4]This led to the development of a privateer port inPuck.[4]Around the start of the 17th century, Poland became ruled by theHouse of Vasa,and was involved ina series of wars with Sweden(see alsodominium maris baltici).[4]The Polish kings of the period attempted to create a proper naval fleet, but their attempts met with repeated failures, due to lack of funds in the royal treasury (Polish nobility saw little need for the fleet and refused to raise taxes for its construction, and Gdańsk continued its opposition to the idea of a royal fleet).[4]During the reign ofSigismund III of Poland,the most celebrated victory of theCommonwealth Navytook place at theBattle of Oliwain 1627 against theSwedish Empire,during thePolish–Swedish War.The victory over the Swedish fleet secured for Poland permanent access to the Baltic, and laid the foundations for potential expeditions beyond Europe. The plans for the permanent naval fleet fell through shortly afterwards due to a badly executed alliance with theHabsburgswho in 1629 forcibly took over the fleet.[4]

The Commission of Royal Ships (Komisja Okrętów Królewskich) was created in 1625. This commission, along with the ultimate allocation of funds by theSejmin 1637, created a permanent Commonwealth Navy.Władysław IV Vasa,Sigismund's son and successor who took the throne in 1632, purchased 12 ships and built a dedicated port for the royal navy calledWładysławowo.[4]The fleet, however, was entirely destroyed in 1637 byDenmark-Norway,despite the Danish not issuing a formal declaration of war.[5]Support for the idea of a Polish-Lithuanian navy was weak and it largely withered away by the 1640s; the remaining ships were sold in the years 1641–1643, which marked the end of the Commonwealth Navy.[4]A small navy was also created byAugustus II the Strongin 1700 during theGreat Northern War.[6]The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, though the dominant force in Central and Eastern Europe during the 16th–18th centuries, never developed its navy to its full potential. The proportionally small Polish coastline and the limited access to the Atlantic never allowed for a massive buildup of naval forces to the level of maritime great powers such as theKingdom of Great Britainand theKingdom of France.ThePartitions of Polandat the end of the 18th century brought an end to the possibility of an independent Polish Navy.

20th century[edit]

Torpedo boatORPMazur,one of the Polish Navy's first ships afterWorld War I

FollowingWorld War I,theSecond Polish Republicon 28 November 1918, by the order ofJózef Piłsudski,commander of the Armed Forces of Poland, founded the modern Polish Navy. The small naval force was placed under the command of Captain Bogumił Nowotny as its first chief. The first ships, which included severaltorpedo boats,were acquired from the former Imperial German Navy. In the 1920s and 1930s the Polish Navy underwent a modernisation program under the leadership ofVice-AdmiralJerzy Świrski(Chief of Naval Staff) andRear-AdmiralJózef Unrug(CO of theFleet).

A number of modern ships were built inFrance,theNetherlands,and theUnited Kingdom.Despite ambitious plans (including 2cruisersand 12destroyers), the budgetary limitations placed on the government by theGreat Depressionnever allowed the navy to expand beyond a small Baltic force. The building of onesubmarine,ORPOrzeł,was partly funded by a public collection. One of the main goals of the Polish Navy was to protect the Polish coast against the SovietBaltic Fleet,therefore it put emphasis on fast submarines, large and heavily armed destroyers and mine warfare. By September 1939 the Polish Navy consisted of 5 submarines, 4 destroyers, 1 bigminelayerand various smaller support vessels and mine-warfare ships. This force was no match for the largerKriegsmarine,and so a strategy of harassment and indirect engagement was implemented.

World War II[edit]

See also:Polish Navy order of battle in 1939
ORPGrom,aWorld War IIPolish Navy destroyer

The outbreak ofWorld War IIcaught the Polish Navy in a state of expansion. Lacking numerical superiority, Polish Naval commanders decided to withdraw main surface ships toGreat Britainto join the Allied war effort and prevent them from being destroyed in a closed Baltic (thePeking Plan). On 30 August 1939, three destroyers, (ORPBłyskawica,ORPGrom,andORPBurza) sailed to the British naval base atLeithin Scotland. They then operated in combination withRoyal Navyvessels against Germany. Also two submarines managed to flee from theBaltic Seathrough theDanish straitsto Great Britain during thePolish September Campaign(one of them,ORPOrzeł,made adaring escapefrominternmentinTallinn,Estonia,and traveled without charts). Three submarines were interned in Sweden, while remaining surface vessels were sunk by German aircraft.

During the war the Polish Navy in exile was supplemented with leased British ships, including twocruisers(HMS Danae/ORP Conrad,andHMS Dragon/ORP Dragon), seven destroyers, three submarines, and a number of smaller fast-attack vessels. The Polish Navy fought alongside theAlliednavies in Norway, the North Sea, the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and aided in the escort ofAtlanticandArctic convoys,in whichORPOrkanwas lost in 1943. Polish naval vessels played a part inthe sinkingof theGerman battleshipBismarck,and in thelandings in NormandyduringD-Day.During the course of the war, one cruiser, four destroyers, one minelayer, one torpedo boat, two submarines and some smaller vessels (gunboats, mine hunters etc.) were sunk; in total, twenty-six ships were lost, mostly in September 1939. In addition to participating in the sinking ofBismarck,the Polish Navy sank an enemy destroyer and six other surface ships, two submarines and a number of merchant vessels.

Postwar[edit]

ORPWarszawawas aKashin-classguided missile destroyer

After World War II, on 7 July 1945, the new Soviet-imposed Communist government revived the Polish Navy with headquarters inGdynia.During the Communist period, Poland's navy experienced a great buildup, including the development of a separate amphibious force of Polish Marines. The Navy also acquired a number ofSoviet-made ships, including 2 destroyers, 2 missile destroyers, 13 submarines and 17 missile boats. Among them was aKilo-classsubmarine,ORPOrzełand amodified Kashin-classmissile destroyer, (ORPWarszawa). Polish shipyards produced mostly landing craft, minesweepers and auxiliary vessels. The primary role of theWarsaw PactPolish Navy was to be Baltic Sea control, as well as amphibious operations along the entire Baltic coastline againstNATOforces inDenmarkandWest Germany.Thecollapse of the Soviet Union,thedissolution of the Warsaw Pact,and thefall of Communismended this stance.

21st century[edit]

ORPGenerał Kazimierz Pułaskiis anOliver Hazard Perry-classfrigate

Poland's entrance into theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organizationhas greatly changed the structure and role of the Polish Navy. Whereas before, most of Naval High Command was concerned with coastal defense and Baltic Sea Operations, the current mindset is for integration with international naval operations. To facilitate these changes the Republic of Poland undertook a number of modernization programs aimed at creating a force capable ofpower projection.This included the acquisition of twoOliver Hazard Perry-classfrigates from the United States. TheNaval air armhas also acquired a number ofSH-2G Super Seaspritehelicopters. The Polish Navy continues to operate one Kilo-class attack submarine (ORPOrzeł).

ORPOrzełis aKilo-classattack submarine

The Polish Navy has taken part in numerous joint force operations. In 1999 the naval base at Gdynia became the home base of all NATO submarine forces in the Baltic, codenamed "Cooperative Poseidon". That same year joint American-Polish submarine training manoeuvres codenamed "Baltic Porpoise" for the first time utilized the port in a multinational military exercise.

Modernization[edit]

ORPŚlązakis anGawron-classoffshore patrol vessel

As of the 2020s, the Polish Navy is modernizing its fleet. The work was initially planned as a 9 billion zloty project, but this was reduced in 2012 to 5 billion zloty, causing delays and cancellations in the succeeding years.[7]The navy's 2017 strategy called for spending 13 billion zloty and acquiring 22 new warships, including those completed since 2013.[8]In addition, although the force considers larger warships unsuitable for the confines of the Baltic Sea, the strategy called for extending the operational lifespan of oneOliver Hazard Perry-class frigate.[8]

12 new ships worth around 10 billion PLN were to be acquired before 2026. The plan was updated in 2017 for 2013–2022 period to be worth 13 billion zloty and called to acquire 22 new vessels.[8]These included three coast-defense vessels, code nameMiecznik,that would feature a displacement of 2600 tons; and three patrol/mine countermeasure vessels, code nameCzaplawith 1700 tons displacement.[9][10]Other purchases include sixtugboats,twotankers,tworescue ships,oneELINT,one logistical support ship and onejoint support ship.However some deliveries are expected up to 2026.[8]On 2 July 2015,ORPŚlązakwas christened during official launching ceremony, becoming the first new Polish-built Navy ship in 21 years.[11]In 2022, UK shipbuilderBabcockannounced that the Polish Navy had selected itsArrowhead 140design for itsMiecznikprogram, which will equip the navy with three new-build multi-mission frigates. The vessels are expected to be built locally in Poland.[12]

ORPKormoranis a coastalmine countermeasures vessel
Shore basedanti-shipNaval Strike Missile

In terms of armament, the Polish Navy has acquired 36 SwedishRBS15 Mk3.[13]and 50 (50/74) NorwegianNaval Strike Missiles[14]for vessels and coastal defence units. As of 2017,t is planned to reinforce the Navy's helicopter fleet with four to eightASW/SARunits.[15]TheGawron-classcorvettesprogram was cancelled with the sole surviving unit to be built as a patrol vessel.[7]In June 2013 the Coastal Missile Division (NDR) equipped initially with 12Naval Strike Missilesand two TRS-15C radars achieved initial readiness.[16]

Mission and organization[edit]

The main mission of the Polish Navy is the defense of Poland's territorial waters, coastline and its interests abroad. Other missions include the support of NATO allied operations, andsearch and rescueoperations throughout the Baltic Sea. In addition, the Polish Navy supplies nearly 40 ships as part of the NATO Rapid Reaction Force, designed to be aforce projectionand conflict response force around the world. The Polish Navy is organized into 2 separateFlotillasand a Naval Air Brigade.[17]Until January 1, 2014 the service had a Chief of the Navy (a three-starAdmirał floty) and a Naval Command. On that date the branch-specific Land Forces, Air Forces, Naval and Special Forces Commands were disestablished and combined into two new commands. The functions of the three-star Chief of the Navy were split between two two-star officers (vice-admirals in the Polish system of military ranks) - an Inspector of the Navy under theArmed Forces General Command,responsible for manpower, materiel and combat readiness and a Commander of the Seaborne Component Command, responsible for naval operations.

class=notpageimage|
Polish Navy bases
Insignia of the Polish Land Forces
Polish
Armed Forces
Branches
Insignia of the Polish Land ForcesLand Forces
Insignia of the Polish Air ForceAir Force
Insignia of the Polish NavyNavy
Insignia of the Polish Special ForcesSpecial Forces
Insignia of the Territorial Defence Force of PolandTerritorial Defence Force
History
Timeline
Wars
Personnel
Senior officers
Rank insignia
Awards
Oaths
Equipment
Land Forces
Navy

Ranks and insignia[edit]

Main article:Polish Armed Forces rank insignia
Officers
NATO code OF-10 OF-9 OF-8 OF-7 OF-6 OF-5 OF-4 OF-3 OF-2 OF-1 OF(D) Student officer
Polish Navy[20]
 Various
Marszałek Polski Admirał Admirał floty Wiceadmirał Kontradmirał Komandor Komandor porucznik Komandor podporucznik Kapitan marynarki Porucznik marynarki Podporucznik marynarki Podchorąży
Other ranks
NATO code OR-9 OR-8 OR-7 OR-6 OR-5 OR-4 OR-3 OR-2 OR-1
Polish Navy[20]
Starszy chorąży sztabowy marynarki Starszy chorąży marynarki Chorąży marynarki Młodszy chorąży marynarki Starszy bosman Bosman Bosmanmat Starszy mat Mat Starszy marynarz Marynarz

Equipment[edit]

Ships[edit]

Main article:List of ships of the Polish Navy

Currently, the Polish Navy operates 48 ships, including: 3 submarines, 2 frigates, 2 corvettes, 3 fast-attack craft, 21 mine destroyers, 5 mine layers, 4 salvage ships, 6 auxiliary ships and 2 training vessels. Also, the navy operates 40 naval aircraft, including 10 maritime patrol planes, 4 transport planes, 10 search air-rescue helicopters, 12 anti-submarine warfare helicopters, 4 transport & training helicopters. The Polish Ministry of Defence has additionally started multiple programs to modernise and revive the Polish Navy such as the Miecznik programme, the Kormoran class minesweepers, the Orka submarine program and many more.

Aircraft[edit]

PZL M28B 1R Bryza
W-3 WARM Anakonda
AW-101(Merlin Mk614)
Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite
See also:List of Polish military aircraft
Aircraft Origin Type Variant In service Notes
Maritime patrol
An-28 /

PZL M28

Poland Maritime patrol An-28/M28 (MPA) 9[21]
Transport
An-28 /

PZL M28

Poland Light transport — 5[21]
Helicopters
AW-101 United Kingdom

Italy

ASW,CSAR Merlin Mk614[22] 3[23] Replacement ofMil Mi-14
1 on order[21]
Mil Mi-14 Soviet Union ASW/utility/Search and rescue 6[21]
PZL Mi-2 Poland Search and rescue 3[21]
PZL W-3 Sokół Poland Search and rescue PZL W-3WARM SAR 8[21]
Kaman SH-2 United States ASW SH-2G Super Seasprite 4[21]

Coastal Defense[edit]

Current equipment[edit]

Model Origin Image Type In service Notes
Division
NSM CDSdivision

Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence System

Norway Polish Naval Strike Missile Coastal defence missile system 2 1 squadron ordered in 2008[24]

1 additional squadron ordered in 2014[24][25]

Each squadron is made of 2 batteries.

Composition of a division
NSM - BCV

Naval Strike Missile - Battery Command Vehicle

— Battery command 4 Installed on Jelcz 662D43 6×6 truck.[26]

1 per battery, 2 per squadron[27]

TRS-15C - MRV

Mobile Radar Vehicle

Poland Polish Naval Strike Missile Radar 4 Installed on a Jelcz P882 8×8 truck

1 per battery, 2 per squadron[27]

NSM - MLV

Naval Strike Missile - Mobile Launch Vehicle

Norway
Poland 		Polish Naval Strike Missile Transporter erector launcher 12 Installed on Jelcz 662D43 6×6 truck.

4 missiles per launcher. 3 per battery, 6 per squadron[27]

NSM - CCV

Naval Strike Missile - Combat Command Vehicle

— Polish Naval Strike Missile Fire control 12 Installed on Jelcz 662D35 6×6 truck.

3 per battery, 6 per squadron[27]

NSM - MCC

Naval Strike Missile - Mobile Communcation Center

— — Mobile communication center 4 Installed on Jelcz 662D43 6×6 truck.[26]

1 per battery, 2 per squadron[27]

NSM - TLV

Naval Strike Missile - Transport Loading Vehicle

— — Transport and loading vehicle 2 1 per squadron[27]
NSM - MWV

Naval Strike Missile - Mobile Workshop Vehicle

— — Mobile workshop vehicle 2 1 per squadron[27]
NSM missile Block 1A

Naval Strike Missile

Norway Polish Naval Strike Missile Anti-Ship Missile 74 50 missiles ordered in 2008 and 2011 (including 2 for testing)[28]

24 ordered with the launchers in 2014[29]

On order[edit]

Two additional squadrons ofNSM CDSwere ordered in 2023, with a delivery planned for 2026 - 2032.[30]Hundreds of missiles are on order.[31]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"Archived copy".Archived fromthe originalon 2010-10-11.Retrieved2011-01-12.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^"Ustawa z dnia 19 lutego 1993 r. o znakach Sił Zbrojnych Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej"[Act of February 19, 1993 on the symbols of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland](PDF).isap.sejm.gov.pl(in Polish). Internet System of Legal Acts. pp. 24–28.Retrieved10 October2021.
  3. ^Górski, Karol (1949).Związek Pruski i poddanie się Prus Polsce: zbiór tekstów źródłowych(in Polish and Latin). Poznań: Instytut Zachodni. pp. 89, 207.
  4. ^abcdefgJuliusz Bardach, Boguslaw Lesnodorski, and Michal Pietrzak,Historia panstwa i prawa polskiego(Warsaw: Paristwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe), 1987, p.231
  5. ^Michael Roberts (27 April 1984).The Swedish Imperial Experience 1560–1718.Cambridge University Press. pp. 16–17.ISBN978-0-521-27889-8.Archivedfrom the original on 30 May 2016.Retrieved7 June2011.
  6. ^Jerzy PertekPolacy na morzach i oceanach: Do roku 1795,p. 176
  7. ^ab"Rozczarowujące BME 2010".Altair. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-03-13.Retrieved2012-04-17.
  8. ^abcdNowy harmonogram modernizacji MW RP.Archived2017-02-02 at theWayback MachineAltair, January 20, 2017.(in Polish)
  9. ^The Polish Navy Development Concept.Archived2017-03-05 at theWayback Machineamberexpo.pl
  10. ^Miecznik i Czapla częściowo odtajnione.Archived2013-07-15 at theWayback MachineAltair(in Polish)
  11. ^Defence Minister: We need to expand Polish Navy.Archived2017-10-04 at theWayback Machine02.07.2015
  12. ^"Babcock's Arrowhead 140 design to form the basis of the future flagships of the Polish Navy".Janes.com.7 March 2022.Retrieved2022-03-07.
  13. ^"RBS15 Mk 3 Surface to Surface Missile SSM in use".Saab Group.Archived fromthe originalon October 24, 2010.
  14. ^"defence.professionals".defpro.com. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-06-30.Retrieved2012-04-17.
  15. ^"Poland evaluates three bids for helicopter acquisition".Archivedfrom the original on 2017-04-09.Retrieved2017-04-08.
  16. ^"Ukompletowanie NDR".Altair.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-07-03.
  17. ^"Polish Navy".Archivedfrom the original on 18 December 2014.Retrieved14 December2014.
  18. ^"Marynarka Wojenna".www.jednostki-wojskowe.pl.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-09-26.Retrieved2018-09-26.
  19. ^Rydzyk|2012|www.rczpi.wp.mil.pl, made by RCZPI|design by Patryk."..:::: Jednostki::."blmw.wp.mil.pl(in Polish).Archivedfrom the original on 2018-09-26.Retrieved2018-09-26.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. ^ab"Sposób noszenia odznak stopni wojskowych na umundurowaniu Marynarki Wojennej"(PDF).wojsko-polskie.pl(in Polish). Armed Forces Support Inspectorate.Retrieved7 June2021.
  21. ^abcdefgHoyle, Craig (2023)."World Air Forces 2024".Archivedfrom the original on 5 January 2024.Retrieved13 April2024.
  22. ^Harding, Ian (2024-02-14)."Poland AW101 Merlin Mk614".AeroResource.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  23. ^Jennings, Gareth (2023-12-12)."https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/poland-inducts-first-merlin-asw-helicopters".Jane's.Retrieved2024-05-20.{{cite web}}:External link in|title=(help)
  24. ^ab"KONGSBERG signs Naval Strike Missile Coastal Defence System contract with Poland worth approximately NOK 16 billion".www.wojsko-polskie.pl.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  25. ^"NSM Coastal Defence contract valued at NOK 1,3 Billions with Poland - KONGSBERG - Protecting People and Planet".www.kongsberg.com.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  26. ^ab"Kongsberg showcasing Polish Navy's NSM Coastal Battery vehicles at MSPO 2014".www.navyrecognition.com.3 September 2014.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  27. ^abcdefg"Kongsberg showcasing Polish Navy's NSM Coastal Battery vehicles at MSPO 2014".2023-04-10. Archived fromthe originalon 2023-04-10.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  28. ^"Securing the shoreline – why coastal defence is back on the agenda | Shephard".plus.shephardmedia.com.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  29. ^"Ukompletowanie NDR".Altair.Archivedfrom the original on 2015-07-03.
  30. ^Giovanni (2023-10-27)."Poland Orders Additional Naval Strike Missile Squadrons".Defense aerospace.Retrieved2024-04-23.
  31. ^Saballa, Joe (2023-09-07)."Poland Orders Hundreds of Naval Strike Missiles for $2 Billion".The Defense Post.Retrieved2024-04-23.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Belcarz, Bartlomiej & Peczkowski, Robert (2001).White Eagles: The Aircraft, Men and Operations of the Polish Air Force 1918–1939.Ottringham, UK: Hikoki Publications.ISBN1-902109-73-2.
  • Peszke, Michael Alfred,Poland's Navy: 1918–1945,New York, Hippocrene Books, 1999,ISBN0-7818-0672-0.

External links[edit]

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Polish_Navy&oldid=1232353897"