Capt (N) Robert Szymaniuk, Head of the Rescue Division at the Naval Inspectorate of the Armed Forces General Command, talks about the uniqueness of the Ratownik rescue vessel and the strengthening of Polish naval capabilities.

We recently celebrated the keel laying of Ratownik, a ship that will change the face of the Polish Navy…

I wouldn’t go that far. Ratownik will not be a combat vessel, but a support vessel. However, it will certainly gain enormous, hard-to-overestimate importance not only for the Polish Navy, but for the entire country.

Why?

Due to the wide range of tasks it is designed for. These tasks perfectly match threat challenges in the Baltic Sea, which is an area crucial for Poland’s security – both in military and economic terms.

How does this strategic perspective translate into specifics? What kind of ship are we waiting for?

First and foremost, Ratownik will support submarine operations. If one of them suffers a failure or is damaged and sinks to the seabed, the vessel will come to the rescue. Equipped with modern sonars and multibeam echo sounders, Ratownik will search for such a unit, and after locating it, it will take command of the rescue operation. Ratownik will also have a system for saturation diving.

What is it about?

Saturation diving is the most advanced underwater working technology. A diver’s body is adapted to the pressure at a given depth and remains in that state for many days. As a result, decompression after each dive is not required, which radically increases efficiency and continuity of operations. On Ratownik, a diving team of nine can fit in decompression chambers that are an integral part of the ship’s rescue-diving system.

That’s not all. Ratownik will also be equipped with a remotely-operated underwater vehicle (ROV). With its multifunctional manipulators, the device will be able to perform many tasks previously carried out by divers. These include, for example, ventilating a sunken submarine or delivering POD containers with emergency supplies to its crew.

Capt (N) Robert Szymaniuk.

Divers, supported by an underwater vehicle, will be able to perform many tasks on a damaged submarine. How about evacuating trapped sailors?

This brings us to another issue. Ratownik will be fully compatible with NSRS [NATO Submarine Rescue System]. This system includes, among other things, a vehicle capable of descending to a sunken submarine, connecting to its hatch, and transporting trapped crew members to the surface.

What does this compatibility mean in practice?

Ratownik will gain MOSHIP status, meaning it will serve as the mother vessel for the system. If needed, the rescue vehicle and its launch system can be deployed on board – and that will be sufficient. Other essential elements, such as power systems and hyperbaric chambers, will already be available on the ship. The vehicle will descend, evacuate the sailors, and, if necessary, they will undergo decompression in onboard hyperbaric chambers.

Which means we will gain a unique capability in submarine rescue.

We will. NSRS is one of the most advanced systems in this field. It operates under NATO but is owned by the UK, France, and Norway. Similar systems are used by the United States and Sweden, while Italy is developing its own. At one point, Poland even considered acquiring such a system permanently for Ratownik. Although that idea was abandoned, having a vessel so closely adapted to NSRS will place us among the world leaders. Especially since the ship’s design allows cooperation with future versions of the system.

The ship’s visualizations show a helicopter landing on flight deck. What aircraft will it handle?

All helicopters with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 15 tons. This includes W-3WARM Anakonda rescue helicopters and the recently acquired AW101 helicopters. This will facilitate the evacuation of survivors or victims of maritime accidents. Importantly, helicopter crews will be able to restore operational readiness onboard – for example, by refueling – thus significantly extending their operational range.

Another major advantage of Ratownik will be the dynamic positioning system. During underwater operations, the vessel must maintain a stable position. Older vessels achieved this by deploying multiple anchors, which posed risks to underwater infrastructure such as cables and pipelines. With the DP3 system, this risk is eliminated – the vessel maintains position using computer-controlled thrusters.

The ship will also be equipped with a powerful 60-ton crane, a 15-ton auxiliary crane, and two smaller ones. These will allow Ratownik to lift large objects from the seabed. It will also have significant reserve capacity – its spacious deck and energy systems will enable temporary installation of additional containerized equipment.

Ratownik is often associated with the Orka program…

The two projects are closely linked. Without an advanced rescue vessel, operating new submarines is hard to imagine. Their construction requires different emergency procedures than older units. A new era requires new tools, and 50-year-old rescue ships are no longer sufficient.

However, submarine support is not everything. Ratownik will be a multi-role platform. It can be used for underwater work, seabed mapping, and recovery of objects. It will also assist in large-scale maritime disasters. The Baltic Sea is heavily trafficked, and accidents similar to major ferry disasters are possible. In such cases, all available rescue units would be deployed – and Ratownik would play a crucial role, including rescuing people trapped in air pockets.

The vessel can also monitor critical infrastructure. While this is not a primary naval task, its importance has grown due to hybrid threats in the Baltic. Pipelines and cables are vulnerable to sabotage, and their economic significance is immense.
Acquiring Ratownik will allow the Polish Navy to remain independent in many key areas. In emergencies, Poland will not have to rely on others – it will have its own vessel ready to act immediately. This is especially important when human lives are at stake.

Our allies will also benefit from this capability. How?

Such a vessel will increase safety for their submarine crews as well. For example, Sweden plans to acquire similar submarines – A26 Blekinge. Poland has already signed a rescue cooperation agreement with Sweden, and this will likely strengthen further.

Will there be more than one Ratownik?

There were plans for two vessels, but currently the focus is on one. Building and implementing such a ship is a major challenge – Poland has never had a comparable vessel. However, there are already reports that Sweden is interested in the project, which raises the possibility of export.

Capt (N) Robert Szymaniuk – he is the Head of the Rescue Division at the Naval Inspectorate and an experienced diver. In the past, he served as commander of the Polish Armed Forces Diving Training Center and commander of the Support Ships Squadron of the 3rd Ship Flotilla in Gdynia.