One more country to build frigates based on UK’s Type 31 frigate design

The Polish Armaments Agency selected Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 (AH140) from three different platform design proposals for future Poland Navy’s frigates.

Babcock International has been selected as the platform design provider and technology partner for Poland’s MIECZNIK (Swordfish) new frigate program. The company has today concluded a set of strategic cooperation agreements with the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium, which is responsible for the delivery of the project from the Polish side.

The proposals were originally down-selected in July 2021. Babcock and the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium will now focus on the detailed design and systems integration planning process, which is expected to conclude in 2022, according to the company.

As explained, Babcock will support the PGZ-MIECZNIK Consortium for the three AH140 frigates to be built in Polish shipyards by a local workforce, drawing significantly from Polish suppliers and Babcock’s global supply chain.

Following the successful completion of the design phase, Babcock will support the MIECZNIK frigate build in Poland through a design licensing agreement, transferring knowledge and technologies to optimise Poland’s shipbuilding and industrial capabilities.

“The Polish Armaments Agency’s order of three frigates from the Consortium led by PGZ under the MIECZNIK programme will provide Poland with the sovereign capability to engage both aerial and naval threats to Polish maritime interests and to support NATO operation,” according to the officials.

Poland’s selection of Babcock as the platform design provider for its frigate program follows decisions by the UK and Indonesia to select the AH140 platform as the basis of their new frigate programs in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

The first UK Type 31 frigate is scheduled for launch next year.