The float off of the first of three Miecznik Class frigates being built in Poland for the Polish Navy, signals a historic moment for the country’s resurgent naval shipbuilding capability.
As the proud platform design provider and technology partner, Babcock works in partnership with the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium to support Poland’s sovereign defence ambitions. Central to this collaboration is a comprehensive programme of knowledge and technology transfer, ensuring that Poland is developing the skills and expertise needed to sustain a world-class naval shipbuilding industry for generations to come.
Known as TOKAT, the Transfer of Knowledge and Technology programme has become an important element of the build. Through the partnership between Babcock and the PGZ-Miecznik Consortium, Poland is not only acquiring three advanced Arrowhead 140-based frigates but is also developing the sovereign skills, industrial capability and in-country expertise needed to design, build and support complex warships in the future.
The TOKAT agreement, signed in 2022, was established to transfer technology, engineering knowledge and shipbuilding expertise from Babcock to Polish industry partners the PGZ -Miecznik Consortium. The programme includes workforce development, training, infrastructure support and the implementation of modern shipbuilding methods.
A key success of TOKAT has been the development of Polish shipbuilding capability. Babcock experts have worked alongside Polish engineers and production teams, sharing lessons learned from major UK programmes such as the Royal Navy’s Type 31 frigate programme. This has included job-shadowing, production support and advice on modern warship acceptance and construction practices.
Sam Barton, Babcock’s Programme Director for Poland, highlighted the value of the initiative:
“TOKAT provides invaluable opportunities to develop ways to accelerate elements of the Miecznik programme. Knowledge from our extensive operations and current programmes has helped to inform best practice and develop relationships between Babcock and PGZ-Miecznik consortium employees.
“The benefits extend beyond the delivery of three frigates. By transferring knowledge rather than simply exporting a ship design licence, Babcock is helping Poland build a sustainable naval-industrial base. This creates skilled jobs, strengthens national security and ensures that future support can be undertaken within Poland.”
The programme is also a tangible reference point of the strengthened defence cooperation between the United Kingdom and Poland, reinforcing NATO interoperability and fostering deeper industrial relationships with the signing of the UK–Poland Security and Defence Partnership Treaty in May marking an important milestone in bolstering the strategic alliance between Poland and the United Kingdom which have longstanding ties in defending European security.
Vice-president PGZ SA, Jan Grabowski said:
“The success of TOKAT demonstrates the strength of the partnership approach between PGZ and Babcock and shows how technology transfer can become a strategic investment in national capability and security. Built on this model, PGZ can deliver and sustain modern naval platforms in Poland, while working with Babcock internationally to support cooperation with domestic shipbuilders in third-country markets and strengthen long-term sovereign maritime capability.”
For Babcock looking ahead, TOKAT creates significant opportunities for future growth with other navies. The Arrowhead 140 design is attracting global interest because it combines proven capability with flexibility and a strong industrial partnership model. Countries seeking to develop domestic shipbuilding industries may view the Polish experience as a successful template.
Babcock offers more than a ship platform. The company can provide a complete capability-building package including design expertise, workforce development, shipyard modernisation and technology transfer. This approach aligns with the growing preference among governments for domestic industrial participation in defence programmes.
Sir Nick Hine Babcock’s Chief Growth Officer, emphasised the strategic importance of the programme:
“Our whole approach is to build long-term partnerships, not just sell naval platforms. Babcock is supporting the delivery of first-class frigates that will contribute significantly to the sovereign defence capability in Poland. This expertise has been accrued through Babcock’s longstanding shipbuilding and support experience. It is a model that is not only proven in Poland but one which is globally transferrable to allied navies also embarking on new naval shipbuilding programmes such as Denmark and New Zealand.”
“With plans on developing strategic partnerships in Poland for future defence programmes, and with a long-term goal to be a sustained part of Poland’s armaments ecosystem, our commitment to Poland has been many years in the making and it’s a partnership we are immensely proud of and ambitious for.”
The Polish TOKAT programme represents far more than technology transfer. It is a strategic investment in Polish industrial capability, national defence and international collaboration. Its success provides a powerful example of how defence partnerships can deliver long-term economic, industrial and military benefits, while creating a model that could be replicated with allied navies around the world.