Operators Polish Navy | Preceded by Projekt 620 | |
 | ||
Name Projekt 621 (Gawron class) Builders Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej Succeeded by Miecznik-class Coastal Defence Vessel Built 2001-2012 (Program cancelled) | ||
The Gawron class (Polish: rook) or Projekt 621 was a planned class of multipurpose corvettes ordered by Polish Navy. The Gawron class was a variant of the MEKO A-100 project developed by the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Germany. Construction of the first ship of the class started in 2001. The project was terminated in February 2012 but in October 2013 a contract was signed to complete the existing hull as a patrol ship by 2016. On 2 July 2015 ORP Ślązak (241) patrol vessel was christened and launched; its commission is expected in 2018.
Construction
There were plans to build 7 Gawron-class corvettes, but as of 2009, work had only begun on one ship, which is to be named Ślązak (Polish: Silesian). The program suffered delays due to insufficient funding from the government and delays in choosing final weapons and systems configuration. The hull was launched on 16 September 2009, but the program was suspended due to the ongoing financial crisis. Work was resumed and the first ship would be commissioned by 2015. However on 24 February 2012 it as announced by the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk that the project was cancelled.
At the time of the cancellation, the hull of the first ship was largely completed at the cost of 402 million PLN (~US$130m), but equipping it would have cost an additional 1 billion PLN (~US$320m). A single existing Gawron hull will be completed without main armament as heavy patrol vessel at the cost of 100 million PLN.