VESSEL REVIEW | Mewa & Albatros – New mine countermeasures vessels delivered to Polish Navy

The Polish Navy recently commissioned two new locally built mine countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) into service.

Built by a consortium that also includes PGZ Naval Shipyard (formerly Naval Shipyard Gdynia) and technology company Centrum Techniki Morskiej (CTM), ORP Mewa (“Seagull”) and ORP Albatros belong to the Project 258 or Kormoran II-class MCMVs. As with class lead ship ORP Kormoran, the newbuilds each have a non-magnetic steel hull, a length of 58.5 metres, a beam of 10.3 metres, a draught of 2.7 metres, and a displacement of 850 tonnes.

Non-magnetic steel was selected for the hulls due to its low operating cost and its improved resistance to both corrosion and fire damage. Each MCMV’s hull and superstructure are also designed to help minimise radar cross-section. The construction of the vessels themselves complies with the Polish Register of Shipping’s L3 ice class notation and ensures crew safety when operating in environments with chemical, biological, and nuclear hazards.

Two MTU 970kW diesel engines drive Voith-Schneider propellers to deliver a maximum speed of 15 knots and a range of 2,500 nautical miles while a Schottel 200kW bow thruster provides added lateral manoeuvrability. Electrical power on each vessel is supplied by three MTU 323kW generators.

Armament meanwhile includes a 35mm autocannon, three 12.7mm machine guns, and Grom surface-to-air missiles. Also fitted on each vessel are a CTM integrated combat system, an inertial navigation system, an aft deck crane, and a boat davit. Space is available for a towed sonar, two inflatable tenders, and Teledyne Marine and Kongsberg Maritime autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) capable of underwater survey as well as mine detection, identification, and disposal.

Mewa and Albatros are each crewed by 45 officers and enlisted sailors, though accommodations are also available for up to seven additional personnel.

The Kormoran II-class MCMVs’ main area of operations are within Poland’s exclusive economic zone, though they may also be deployed in support of naval task forces in the Baltic and North Seas.

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