The Polish Navy has selected Babcock's Arrowhead 140 frigate for its new Miecznik (Swordfish) frigate programme. As the platform design provider and technology partner, Babock concluded a set of strategic cooperation agreements with the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium, 

The Polish Armaments Agency selected Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 (AH140) from three different platform design proposals provided by the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium, which is responsible for delivery of the project from the Polish side, Proposals from Babcock, ThyssenKrupp Marine's Meko-A300 design and Navantia's F-100 frigate design, were originally down selected in July 2021. 

Babcock and the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium, The Polish Armaments Agency’s order of three frigates from the Consortium led by PGZ under the Miecznik programme will provide Poland with the sovereign capability to engage both aerial and naval threats to Polish maritime interests and to support NATO operations. The frigates will be used to bolster the Polish Navy's capabilities in the Baltic Sea 

Babcock will support the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium for the three AH140 frigates to be built in Polish shipyards by a local workforce, drawing significantly from Polish suppliers and Babcock’s global supply chain. Following the successful completion of the design phase, Babcock will support the MIECZNIK frigate build in Poland through a design licensing agreement, transferring knowledge and technologies to optimise Poland’s shipbuilding and industrial capabilities.

The detailed design and systems integration planning processvis expected to conclude this year.

Poland’s selection of Babcock as the platform design provider for its frigate programme follows decisions by the UK and Indonesia to select the AH140 platform as the basis of their new frigate programmes in 2019 and 2021 respectively.

Babcock has been working alongside the UK Government to promote the export variant AH140 frigate and its interoperability across navies in the global market, with its baseline design configurable to meet a broad range of naval requirements no matter where in the world it operates.  

David Lockwood, CEO Babcock said the AH140's adaptability and capability mean the design can be tailored to suit the needs of the Polish Navy.