Domestic firms to arm Polish navy

Polish Ministry of Defense is going to negotiate deals totaling PLN 13 billion with Polish shipyards omitting competition-based procedures, Rzeczpospolita daily reported on Friday. In the government's opinion, the Polish shipyard industry is "ready" to carry out the plan of modernizing the Polish navy. The negotiations are to be launched within a few weeks, the daily informed.  Such companies as Remontowa Holding and Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) are to be interested in the project. The Polish navy will order three patrol vessels ("Czapla" programme), three multi-task corvettes ("Miecznik") and submarines ("Orka"). Polish firms are able to carry out orders within the first two programmes, but the government would need to hire some European company to construct submarines, the daily pointed out. The total estimated value of the project stands at PLN 13 billion.