On the past 1st of July in Gdansk, the first Polish signal intelligence (SIGINT) ship, the ORP Jerzy Różycki, was launched and christened under the “DELFIN” program.
This launch represents a significant step after the keel was laid in November 2023 and the first cut of the plate in April 2023.
The ship now needs to be equipped with the appropriate search systems and undergo sea trials before entering service with the Polish Navy.
The ship’s name is a tribute to the cryptographer Jerzy Różycki, who worked for Polish intelligence before the outbreak of World War II to decipher the German Enigma encrypted communication system.
The two new SIGINT ships derived from the Artemis, fitted out by Saab Kockums and in service with the Swedish Navy, will allow the Polish Navy to collect information on maritime electronic intelligence.
The Artemis, for comparison, has a displacement between 2,200 and 3,000 tons, an overall length of 74.6 meters and a width of 14 meters, with a draft of 3.8 meters; it is powered by four diesel engines, each with 990 kW or 1,330 hp, which allow it to reach a maximum speed just below 15 knots; the ship has 35 cabins for a total of 40 beds for the crew and for FRA personnel (the Swedish signals intelligence service).
Saab Kockums is the prime contractor for the construction of the pair of ships, with Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. as the subcontractor for construction, and MMC as support in the design.
Other Polish defense industry companies participate in the ‘DELFIN’ project.
Source: Armaments Agency of the Polish National Defense Ministry
Photo credit @Polish National Defense Ministry
