Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. has launched the second SIGINT (Signals Intelligence) vessel, ORP Henryk Zygalski, currently under construction for the Polish Navy's DELFIN program. The lead vessel of the class, ORP Jerzy Różycki, was launched previously in July 2025.
The procurement contract was signed in November 2022, with the program's value estimated at €600 million at the time of signing. The shipyard laid the keel for the ORP Jerzy Różycki in July 2023, followed by the ORP Henryk Zygalski in January 2024.
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Hull construction took approximately two years from keel laying to launch. However, operational deployment is not immediate. The vessels are scheduled for commissioning in 2027 and 2028, respectively.
The extended timeline is due to the intensive outfitting and calibration required for specialized reconnaissance systems and other mission-critical equipment. Consequently, the total duration from contract signing to full operational capability will span approximately six years.
The DELFIN-class vessels are based on the design of the Swedish SIGINT ship HSwMS Artemis. Developed in collaboration with the Swedish defense company Saab, the ships will feature Saab's electronic intelligence suites. The vessels have a displacement of approximately 2,200 tons; further technical specifications remain classified.
In Polish service, these vessels will primarily focus on monitoring and SIGINT operations targeting Kaliningrad, St. Petersburg, the Baltic Sea, and the Gulf of Finland.
This program serves as a benchmark for Ukraine, whose own SIGINT vessel, the Simferopol, was damaged by a russian USV in the Danube Delta in August 2025. Its current operational status and repair feasibility remain unconfirmed.
However, even if the vessel is successfully restored, the Ukrainian Navy will still require comprehensive expansion and modernization. To reinforce surveillance of the Black Sea and its littoral zones, the Navy could theoretically consider vessels analogous to those developed under the Polish DELFIN program.
Following this precedent, Ukraine would face a lead time of approximately 5-6 years and a total investment exceeding €600 million for two such vessels. However, operational requirements might be more limited, with a single platform potentially sufficing to meet the Ukrainian Navy's mission objectives.
The new Polish vessels, ORP Henryk Zygalski and ORP Jerzy Różycki, are expected to field significantly more advanced and capable mission suites compared to the Ukrainian Simferopol. Consequently, these modern platforms would offer superior signal fidelity and broader operational coverage. It should be noted, however, that these conclusions are based on current theoretical assessments, and future procurement strategies may vary.
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