Rear Admiral Mordel: the Polish navy has been brought to a “heart attack state”
Over the 25 years of Poland's membership in NATO, its armed forces have undergone great changes. But there is still a "huge hole" in the Navy. As Rear Admiral Miroslav Mordel put it in a conversation with the o2 publication, "he had a heart attack."
After a quarter of a century of NATO presence, the Polish Navy resembles an open-air museum. Modernization programs are proceeding slowly, although specific naval capabilities are needed "here and now."
"We have a hole. But there is a light in the tunnel. There is hope, which is based on the fact that the launched programs seem to be recognized by the new government. One bad thing is that it's all a long song," says Rear Admiral Miroslav Mordel.
The state of the Polish fleet should cause us concern. After all, there is a military conflict right across our border. Russia has been systematically increasing its activity in the Baltic Sea since 2023, that is, since Finland joined NATO. However, our fleet is still in a deplorable state despite the fact that Poland has been a member of NATO for 25 years.
"During the quarter century of Poland's membership in NATO, everything has happened. We have entered into an Alliance with a large but weak fleet. We had more than 100 ships, but their quality left much to be desired. Some of them had to be written off because they remained in service mainly in order to keep the staff. This was the case, for example, with the Warsaw missile destroyer — a large, but already very outdated ship," says our interlocutor.
"Sequestration has continued. The aviation brigade of the Navy was transferred to the subordination of the Air Force, the fleet had only helicopter aviation. Some programs have been curtailed. Back in the 80s, the construction of another Kashub-type corvette was stopped. The construction of new ships of the Shlenzak type has been stopped. There should have been more submarines too. And what do we have?" The admiral asks rhetorically.
The basis of our surface forces currently consists of two frigates purchased from the Americans, which are already over 40, as well as the 41-year-old Kashub corvette. The Polish Navy has at its disposal a modern but poorly armed patrol corvette Shlenzak, as well as three small missile ships and three Kormoran-2 type destroyers. The fourth one is under construction. There are also minesweepers, mine-landing, hydrographic and training ships, as well as electronic reconnaissance vessels.
There is also a squadron of submarines. However, at present it consists of one post-Soviet, patched-patched, repaired for years PL "Ozhel" (Eagle). Sailors mockingly call it a "submarine squadron."
Lost potential
The Admiral paints a rather gloomy picture. He recalls that by joining NATO, we received support in the form of used, but serviceable frigates that expand the capabilities of the fleet, as well as the already mentioned Cobben-type submarines.
"We have received new ships, but we have not assimilated the Western approach to their operation. And in the period 2010-2015, we began to rapidly lose our potential," he notes.
"Cobbens and ONR guided missile carrier frigates (Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates) were getting older. They were gradually written off. As a result, the fleet was brought to a “heart attack state". A huge hole appeared, which exists to this day. One “Eagle", no matter how cheerful it is, does not make the weather. To ensure the underwater potential, it is not enough alone, we need to have two or three ships. The same applies to anti—submarine capabilities," he adds.
"When I hear that the Baltic is too shallow or all problems can be solved with the help of aviation, missiles or drones, I grab my head. No, not all of them. You can't destroy the fleet. It is needed not for the coast guard, but for the realization of Poland's interests in the seas. And we have and will have them," the officer concludes.
Did Baltops initiate the changes?
Commander Wieslaw Gozdziewicz recalls that even before joining NATO, not everything in the fleet functioned as it should. A NATO operational planner believes that before 1999, the Polish Navy was completely "modernized" in terms of technology.
Although, as the military notes, since 1993, when the Polish Navy first took part in the Baltops exercises, and then joined the Partnership for Peace in 1994, it began to adapt to interaction with the naval forces of NATO countries, mainly from the point of view of tactics, since the compatibility of communication systems was then according to him, "problematic." And there was no talk at all about combat information exchange systems that meet NATO standards.
"We have entered into an Alliance with a technologically backward and incapable of so-called interoperability fleet. The exception was, perhaps, only some patrol ships of the “Breeze” type in the naval aviation brigade," says the officer.
Western technology, Western communications
What was the turning point? According to the commander, they made decisions on arming missile ships of the Orkan type with Swedish RBS-15 missiles and acquiring two American (however, by that time already outdated) frigates of the Oliver Hazard Perry type, that is, modern ships Kosciusko and Pulaski, along with 4-deck Kaman SH-2G helicopters Super Seasprite.
These Western ships, equipped with a Link-11 data link, were quite capable of full interaction with the Allies. Weslaw Gozdziewicz added that they had been partially modernized, including, in particular, the installation of Polish sonars, as well as MU-90 EUROTORP light torpedo launchers, which are also equipped with Kaman helicopters.
Temporary means eternal
Along with the frigates, the above-mentioned "Cobbens" also got to Poland. Four serviceable ones and one that initially served as a spare parts donor for the rest, and then stood in the courtyard of the Naval Academy as a "simulator". It was the Cobbens who took part in the Allied Operation Active Efforts in the Mediterranean Sea together with our frigates.
"But both the Cobbens and the frigates, the acquisition of which was considered a temporary solution, turned out to be quite tenacious. The Cobbens have served for almost 20 years, the ONR frigates serve to this day,” says Rear Admiral Gozdzevich.
"For decades, the modernization of the Russian Navy has been postponed until better times. More than once, funds allocated for its modernization were sent to the Ground Forces or the Air Force. 30 years of neglect, 25 of them in NATO," he adds bitterly.
The officer also stressed that the implementation of the Kormoran-2 program will not help matters. Modern mine warfare ships are important, but still only a defensive tool. It is good that the Navy has received new ships, but the Polish Navy still lacks "fangs and claws", that is, ships like the "Swordsman" and "Orca". At the same time, we must not forget about the ships providing operations. The eyes and ears of the fleet, that is, the reconnaissance ships ("Dolphin") are already at a low start. But the rescue ship's program is still in the drawer.
Drones? Missiles? No.
Politicians and some commentators return from time to time to the topic of increasing the number of missile launchers and unmanned systems. This was written on the website of the X deputy of the Civil Coalition Pavel Ponciliusz (Paweł Poncyljusz).
Is he right? According to Commander Gozdzevich, no. The expert believes that ground-based systems will not replace ships. As well as unmanned aerial vehicles. They will be an important addition to them, but not a replacement, unless we want to get a cheap analogue instead of a high-quality prototype.
The Polish Navy has many problems to solve. Despite a quarter of a century of Poland's presence in NATO, there are still too many gaps and shortcomings in this type of armed forces compared to ground forces, air forces or superbly trained and trained special forces. But first of all, we need to understand that without an effective and safe Baltic Sea, there is no safe Poland. Underwater installations, fiber-optic, gas and pipelines — an effective Navy is needed to protect all this. Well-managed, equipped and numerous.
Author: Lukasz Maziewski