On 15 October 2024, a ceremony was held at Remontowa Shipbuilding SA in Gdańsk to cut the first steel for the construction of the sixth mine countermeasure vessel of the Kormoran II class (258), the future ORP Czajka.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Armament Agency, the Polish Navy, the Polish Register of Shipping, banks, insurance companies, and entities directly involved in the ship construction, as well as representatives from the Remontowa Holding group.
Among the guests were: Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, Commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla; Cmdr Piotr Skóra, Chief of the Naval Technology Headquarters in the Armament Agency; Deputy Head of the Armament Board of the Naval Inspectorate, Commander Grzegorz Mucha; Commander of the 12th Minesweeper Squadron, Lieutenant Commander Sławomir Góra; as well as the future commander of the ship under construction, Navy Captain Marcin Krzywdziński, and Pomeranian Vice-Governor Emil Rojek.
Representatives from consortium members, including the Research & Development Maritime Technology Centre JSC in Gdynia and PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia, were also present.
“It is extremely important to have capabilities at sea”
“This is a very good day for the Polish Navy, the armed forces, the shipbuilding industry, and the Polish State. Looking at the experience of the conflict in Ukraine and how Poland supplies raw materials to the country, it is extremely important to have capabilities at sea. These are key capabilities when it comes to ensuring maritime communication routes. These ships provide that protection,” said Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, Commander of the 8th Coastal Defence Flotilla.
The plasma cutting machine was activated by Rear Admiral Piotr Sikora, accompanied by Project Director Robert Stola. The certificate for the first steel cutting was signed by Commander Piotr Skóra from the Armament Agency, Grzegorz Pettke, CEO of the Polish Register of Shipping, and Robert Stola, Project Director at Remontowa Shipbuilding SA.
The future ORP Czajka, like the other two ships under construction, which will be named ORP Jaskółka (604) and ORP Rybitwa (606), will serve in the 12th Minesweeper Squadron, stationed at the Świnoujście Naval Base.
Steelcutting ceremony at Remontowa Shipbuilding © Remontowa/Lewandowski
About Remontowa Shipbuilding
Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. is one of the companies within the Remontowa Holding group. Cooperation within the Holding allows for the offering of comprehensive technical solutions, with the final products being fully equipped, modern vessels. Since the shipyard was established in 1945, it has built 1,040 vessels. Currently, 370 employees work at Remontowa Shipbuilding.
