Rohde & Schwarz offers other systems for Polish Miecznik frigate in addition to Kora

Rohde & Schwarz is offering other systems for the Polish Navy's Miecznik frigate (computer-generated image) in addition to the Kora system already being procured for it. (Babcock)

Rohde & Schwarz (R&S) is offering other systems for the Polish Miecznik (Swordfish)-class multirole frigate in addition to Kora, Maciej Stopniak, CEO of Rohde & Schwarz Polska, told defence journalists including Janes visiting the German company in Munich at the beginning of April.

Announcing that they had partnered to deliver electronic warfare (EW) systems for European navies on 27 February, R&S and the Italian ELT Group said the German company had been commissioned to supply and integrate communications and radar electronic support measures (C-ESM/R-ESM) systems from the Kora family for three Miecznik frigates, as well as C-ESM/R-ESM and radar countermeasures systems for three German F124 Sachsen-class frigates to improve the ships' situational awareness, early warning, and self-protection.

Stopniak presented R&S' solutions for Miecznik, including very-high-frequency (VHF)/ultra-high frequency (UHF)/high-frequency (HF) communications, HF broadband racks and equipment, antennas for the frigate's integrated antenna system (IAS), EW systems for electronic intelligence, communications intelligence, C-ESM/R-ESM; and crypto equipment. In addition, he proposed future possible solutions including LANCOM routers, switches, WiFi, and next-generation firewalls, including unified threat management (UTM) and machine learning; high-speed network encryption and zero trust-based endpoint security; and the Automatic Radio-controlled DRONe Identification Solution (ARDRONIS) counter-unmanned aircraft system. Stopniak expected the four Miecznik frigates to be manned by internet-age crews.

More generally, he placed the Miecznik programme in the political context of creating shipbuilding jobs, building up a Polish Navy that “needs more ships”, and to “show things are happening” in Poland's 19-year patrol vessel programme.