Poland launches new mine-hunter vessel

WARSAW, Poland, Sept. 8 (UPI) -- Poland has launched a new mine-hunter vessel as part of its plan to modernize its Navy.

That modernization plan will involve spending more than $4.3 billion over the next decade on the Navy and possibly joining with Norway for joint procurement of new submarines.

"Poland is changing, developing, renovating roads, kindergartens, nurseries, museums," said Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz. "Entire neighborhoods in our cities are changing ... but we also remember defense."

The Polish Press Agency reported Kopacz made the comment at the launching at the port of Gdańsk of the ORP Cormorant II, which will "inevitably increase the security of shipping routes and marine training grounds."

"This is our priority, we will implement these orders with Polish contractors," she said.

Poland ordered three Cormorant II-class ships in September 2013 in an agreement between the Armament Inspectorate and a consortium made up of the Shipbuilding and Repair company, the Research and Development Center for Marine Technology and the Naval Shipyard in Gdynia.

The ship launched, a first of class, is 192 feet long and armed with two 23 mm guns and two Strela-2M missiles an Oerlikon KDA 35mm anti-aircraft gun.

No details were given as to launch dates for the other two vessels.

In a related development, Poland has apparently held talks with Norway about cooperation with Norway on possible submarine procurement, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense reported.

Norway currently operates six Ula-class submarines, which are about 25 years old, and which will be phased out beginning in mid-2020s.

"The acquisition of new submarines will be costly," the Norwegian ministry said. "Norway is working to achieve a comprehensive submarine cooperation on new submarines with other countries so as to reduce costs.

"The Ministry of Defense has recently had discussions with other nations. Poland has a specification that is quite similar to Norway's, and it is therefore interesting to consider closer to a possible collaboration on procurement, operation and maintenance.

"Norway will intensify discussions with Poland...," it said.

Poland, a former Warsaw-Pact country allied with the Soviet Union during the Cold War, joined NATO in 1999. It is opposed to, and concerned over, Russia's unilateral annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region and its support of pro-Russian rebels in Eastern Ukraine. It is currently involved in the modernization of its military forces and procurement programs for new fleets of utility and attack helicopters.