100 years of Gdynia: PGZ Naval Shipyard at the heart of Poland’s Baltic security strategy

During the 100th anniversary of Gdynia receiving city rights, Prime Minister Donald Tusk visited PGZ Naval Shipyard, highlighting the strategic importance of the “Miecznik” frigate programme for Baltic security and the future of Polish naval shipbuilding.

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10 february 2026   |   22:59   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Oskar Wojciechowski   |   Print

fot. Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa

On 10 February 2026, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk toured PGZ Naval Shipyard in Gdynia, where three multi-role frigates – Wicher, Burza and Huragan – are under construction as part of the Miecznik programme, currently the largest modernisation project of the Polish Navy.

Miecznik programme: PLN 15 billion investment in Baltic security

The Miecznik programme is valued at approximately PLN 15 billion and is implemented by Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) in cooperation with a British partner. It constitutes a key element of Poland’s broader “Secure Baltic” strategy.

- Program Miecznik, that is the frigate Wicher and the next ones – Burza and Huragan – amounts to PLN 15 billion. It is an investment by the Polish Armaments Group in cooperation with the British. And this is only part of a major project that makes up a secure Polish Baltic, said Prime Minister Donald Tusk.

The new frigates are designed to significantly enhance the operational capabilities of the Polish Navy, including air defence, anti-surface warfare and the protection of critical maritime infrastructure and sea lines of communication.

Referring to their endurance and operational range, the Prime Minister added:

- The frigates will be able – without entering port – to travel from Gdynia to New York and back. That is impressive. Not only their size and modernity, but also their technical capabilities – unprecedented.

The launching of the first vessel is scheduled for 2026.

Gdynia as a strategic maritime hub

During his speech, Tusk underlined Poland’s growing ambitions in the Baltic Sea region:

- Poland today has real chances to dominate the Baltic Sea, and that is our ambition. And Gdynia is the most important Polish city on the Baltic.

The frigate programme is complemented by the Orka submarine programme, developed in cooperation with Sweden, aimed at acquiring three modern submarines. Together with enhanced cooperation with Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Baltic States, the programme strengthens NATO’s eastern maritime flank.

A century of naval shipbuilding tradition

The history of today’s PGZ Naval Shipyard dates back to 1922, when the Naval Port Workshops were established in Puck. From the very beginning, the shipyard has been closely linked to the development of Gdynia as Poland’s key naval and commercial port.

Currently, strategic projects for the Polish Navy are being executed in the shipyard’s hull construction hall – the tallest of its kind in Poland – including the Miecznik-class frigates and the rescue vessel Ratownik.

As Gdynia celebrates its centenary, the anniversary underscores not only the city’s historical legacy but a

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