Poland rolls out 1st frigate under biggest naval shipbuilding program

The hull of the first of three new frigates being built for the Polish Navy under the country's largest naval shipbuilding program was rolled out of a shipbuilding hall Sunday night, broadcaster TVP World reported Monday.

The first vessel, named Wicher, is being built under Poland's Miecznik program and emerged from the shipbuilding hall at the Baltic port of Gdynia, marking the start of a multiday operation to put the 6,000-ton frigate into the water for the first time.

The hull will be transferred onto a barge and towed into the Gulf of Gdansk, where it will be lowered into the water. Tugboats will then tow the unfinished frigate back to the shipyard for further work.

Construction of the other two frigates under the program is also underway, with the overall project expected to be completed by the end of 2031.

The heavily armed vessels are designed to replace the Polish Navy's aging US-built warships and are based on the Arrowhead 140 design developed by British defense company Babcock.

They will be equipped for air defense, anti-ship, and anti-submarine warfare. The frigates are also intended to safeguard shipping routes and critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea and operate alongside NATO forces.

Wicher is expected to enter service with the Polish Navy in 2029.