The baptism and launching of the 5th Kormoran II mine destroyer took place in Gdańsk. – Sailors are waiting impatiently for the minute of raising the flag on the ORP "Rybitwa". Today's celebration shows that this minute is getting closer and closer – said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish, stressing that the Navy will be systematically upgraded.
The ceremony at Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuildings and Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuildings were attended by Marek Sokolovski, General Commander General of the Armed Forces, Jaroslaw Zieniański, Naval Inspector in DGRSZ, representatives of local authorities, defence manufacture and shipbuilding. Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz addressed the meeting. ‘Minnitators of kind Cormoran II are proven constructions that perfectly execute their tasks. Ships that are in service have confirmed their combat value, so I have no uncertainty that the sailors are waiting impatiently for the minute of raising the flag on the ORP "Rybitwa". Today's celebration shows that this minute is getting closer," wrote the head of the MON. He stressed that the Cormorans were formed in the Polish shipyard, and that "Polish manufacture thus shows its potential".
Destroyer min ORP ‘Rybitwa’ (fifth of the series of six contracted Cormorans II) will be handed over to the Navy in 2027 and will service in the 12th Troop Squadron of 8 Coast Defence Fleets in Świnoujście. The godmother of the latest unit was Maria Terifter, wife of Cadm. in the St. Krzysztof Terifter's St. (in 2014–2018 Deputy Commander of the Centre for Marine Operations), who, according to a military ceremony after symbolically breaking up a bottle of champagne with a hull, gave the unit the name "Rybitwa".
At the end of the ceremony, representatives of the PGZ holding company and Shipbuilding Repair Yard signed a letter of intent, formalizing cooperation on the offer of Kormoran II ships to abroad customers. Thanks to the agreement, both companies will carry out joint export projects to the European Union, NATO and allied countries. Let us remind that the 258 task units are built by a consortium consisting of Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Shipbuilding Yard, PGZ Shipbuilding Yard and Marine Technology investigation and improvement Centre in Gdynia.
The Kormoran II series ships are among the most modern in mine fighting. Their primary tasks are the search, identification, classification and demolition of marine mines. At the same time, they are geared to combating underwater diversion, patrolling water tracks and supervising critical infrastructure.
Three first ships: ‘Kormoran’, ‘Albatros’ and Seagull were transferred to service from 2017 to 2020. They were part of the 13th Division of the 8th Coast Defence Fleet, where, as part of their tasks, they participate in permanent teams of NATO mine defence forces. By 2027 the MW should already have 3 more units of this type, namely “Rybitw”, ‘The Swallow’ (launched in 2024) and ‘Chaika’ (launched in December 2025).
The destroyer of the “Rybitwa” mine is the 3rd ship in the past of the Polish Navy, given the name. The first was a trawler built in the interwar period at the river shipyard in Modlin. He remained in service for 31 years, until 1966. In the same year, a second “Rybitwwa” was launched, a trawler of the 206F Krogulec kind project. The ship built at the Paris Commune Shipyard in Gdynia served from 1967 to 2002 in the 13th Troop Squadron of 9th Coast Defence Fleet in Hel. During this time, the unit participated in almost all major exercises and maneuvers of global naval forces involving Polish ships.
