Changing of the guard aboard ORP Błyskawica: Vice Admiral Piotr Nieć takes over Poland's Maritime Component Command

A change-of-command ceremony was held on 18 June aboard the historic museum ship ORP Błyskawica in Gdynia, marking a handover at one of the most important posts in the Polish Navy. Vice Admiral Piotr Nieć, until now Deputy Operational Commander, assumed command of the Maritime Operations Centre – Maritime Component Command (COM-DKM). The change comes at a moment when the Gdynia-based headquarters is preparing for an unprecedented role: standing up POLMARFOR and taking over regional command of NATO maritime forces in the Baltic in 2028.

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19 june 2026   |   00:07   |   Source: Gazeta Morska   |   Prepared by: Kamil Kusier   |   Print

fot. kmdr rez. Sławomir Frankowski

The report of handover and assumption of duties was received by the Operational Commander, Major General (pilot) Ireneusz Nowak. The outgoing commander of COM-DKM, Vice Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski, has been appointed Deputy General Commander. The setting itself carried symbolic weight, the deck of Błyskawica, one of the oldest preserved destroyers in the world, linking the heritage of the Polish fleet with its present-day missions on the Alliance's eastern flank.

Eight years in the shadow of war and Operation Zatoka

Vice Admiral Krzysztof Jaworski led the Centre for eight years, a period that fell almost entirely within a time of mounting tension in the Baltic Sea region. In his farewell address he thanked his subordinates and colleagues.

- As I conclude my service today at the Maritime Operations Centre – Maritime Component Command, I want to thank all those people with whom I had the privilege and the honour of working over the past eight years. It was an exceptional and demanding period, full of dynamic events and challenges, particularly given the rapidly changing security environment, the full-scale war in Ukraine and the growing importance of the Baltic Sea for the security of Poland and NATO's entire eastern flank. We launched Operation Zatoka and the allied effort codenamed Baltic Sentry. Thanks to this activity, the maritime critical infrastructure that safeguards Poland was, and remains, secure, said Vice Admiral Jaworski.

The departing commander also outlined the trajectory now facing the Gdynia headquarters. Preparations for its new role have been under way for two years and are set to culminate in a turning point in the history of the Polish Navy.

- For two years we have been preparing for the new role of the Maritime Component Command, namely the establishment of POLMARFOR, and in just two years we will assume allied command in the Baltic as Commander Task Force Baltic, Vice Admiral Jaworski added.

"Now we are here together": the new commander's vision

Vice Admiral Piotr Nieć takes up the post with experience gained at the allied CTF Baltic headquarters in Rostock, where he served as deputy commander. In his address he spoke of the professionalism of Polish sailors and underscored the role of COM-DKM within the state's security system. Particular weight fell on his declaration of merging the allied perspective with the national one.

- From this moment, I no longer want to say that I am over there, in Rostock, and you are here in Gdynia. Now we are here together, said Vice Admiral Nieć.

The new commander reached for maritime imagery to convey the continuity of the tasks before the Centre.

- When we put to sea, we know that in the end we will return to port. The security of the state has no finish line. It is a continuous process, and we are part of it. Whether Poland is safe depends on us, on our commitment, on whether we are able to sacrifice our family lives and sometimes our dreams. And if our country is safe, then our families and our children will be safe too, Vice Admiral Nieć added.

What COM-DKM does?

The Maritime Operations Centre – Maritime Component Command is a tactical-level body tasked with commanding designated forces of the Navy, the Land Forces and the Air Force conducting operations in the maritime direction in peacetime, crisis and war. Its remit, however, is considerably broader than the name alone might suggest.

COM-DKM commands designated naval forces at sea, in the air and on land during the execution of their tasks, and it also coordinates the day-to-day activity of forces subordinate to the General Command and the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces operating within the COM-DKM commander's area of responsibility. The Centre likewise commands designated forces of the General Command within the Armed Forces' integrated reconnaissance system, as well as units taking part in rescue operations in the Polish SAR area of responsibility. In this field it works alongside the Maritime Search and Rescue Service.

The Gdynia headquarters is further responsible for directing planning, organisational and coordination activities relating to cooperation with and advisory support for maritime navigation; for monitoring the readiness of naval forces subordinate to the General Commander; for overseeing the Navy's services in their readiness to activate the crisis-management system; and for monitoring the units earmarked to take part in preventing or removing the effects of natural disasters. COM-DKM is also responsible for coordinating the Contamination Detection System across all of its elements located within its area of responsibility, and for the collection and analysis of data and the forecasting and distribution of hydrometeorological warnings for naval and allied forces.

Officers and non-commissioned officers of the Centre also serve on staffs and command structures during the planning and conduct of national and international exercises and allied operations. The unit cooperates with the Maritime Border Guard Unit in protecting and defending the state's maritime border, and its specialists take part in peacekeeping, stabilisation and training missions run by the Polish Armed Forces.

Operation Zatoka: protecting critical infrastructure around the clock

Among the tasks that have defined COM-DKM's activity in recent years, Operation Zatoka holds a special place. It was launched in 2022 in response to emerging incidents and threats to the continuity of maritime critical infrastructure. Its purpose is to monitor shipping, identify threats and observe the waters where facilities and installations crucial to the economy and energy security are located.

To increase the effectiveness of these efforts, the Polish Armed Forces cooperate in this area with the Maritime Border Guard Unit, the maritime administration and the operators of gas pipelines and undersea power and telecommunications cables. Situational awareness is built around the clock, in close cooperation with allied nations, which translates into a higher level of security at sea.

The road to POLMARFOR and NATO command in the Baltic in 2028

The change of command at COM-DKM forms part of a wider strategic process whose origins reach back to 2024. Following the June meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced a rotation of command over NATO operations in the Baltic region among Poland, Germany and Sweden.

Later that same year, in October, a group of Polish Navy officers and non-commissioned officers began service at the newly established regional Alliance headquarters, Commander Task Force Baltic (CTF Baltic) in Rostock. Operationally it reports to NATO's Allied Maritime Command in Northwood in the United Kingdom, and its task is to command allied exercises and operations in the Baltic Sea, including the activity reinforcing the security of shipping and maritime critical infrastructure codenamed Baltic Sentry. With his assumption of command in Gdynia, Vice Admiral Piotr Nieć concludes his mission as deputy commander of CTF Baltic, while another Polish Navy officer takes over the post of Chief of Staff.

In parallel, preparations are under way at the Maritime Operations Centre – Maritime Component Command to establish POLMARFOR, a new unit intended to create the conditions for Poland to take over the role of NATO's regional maritime headquarters in the Baltic in 2028. The staff of the Maritime Component Command take part in numerous national and international courses and specialist training, as well as in national and international exercises. Preparations are also under way to begin the certification process intended to confirm the capabilities required to assume command of allied operations in the region.

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Marynarka Wojenna RP wiceadmirał Krzysztof Jaworski wiceadmirał Piotr Nieć bezpieczeństwo morskie centrum operacji morskich dowództwo komponentu morskiego

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