Poland starts construction of new naval rescue ship Ratownik

February 5, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

The Polish Navy is entering a new era of marine rescue, with the start of construction on a new salvage and rescue vessel, Ratownik.

Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna via LinkedIn

As disclosed, PGZ Stocznia Wojenna held a keel-laying ceremony for the ship on February 4, 2026. The rescue vessel Ratownik will replace the long-deserted ORP Piast and ORP Lech vessels, which have been in service for over 50 years.

During the ceremony, a commemorative medal, a traditional symbol of the beginning of the construction of the ship’s hull, was welded into the keel structure.

According to PGZ, the ship will be among the largest and most modern rescue vessels operating in the Baltic Sea. It will have an overall length of 96 metres and a maximum breadth of 19 metres, with a maximum displacement of 6,500 tonnes. The vessel will offer a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles and a top speed of 16 knots. It will be crewed by 100 personnel, with capacity for an additional nine specialist staff.

The vessel is designed for a wide range of missions, including the rescue and protection of submarines, among them future vessels under the Orca program. It is also intended to safeguard critical undersea infrastructure and to support NATO allied operations in the Baltic Sea region. In addition, Ratownik is capable of conducting complex rescue operations at sea.

The launching ceremony is scheduled for 2027, while the official handover of the vessel to the Polish Navy is planned for 2029.