On 14 January 2026, "Henryk Zygalski", the second SIGINT reconnaissance ship for the Polish Navy, was launched in Gdańsk in the presence of Deputy Minister of Defence Paweł Bejda. The ship was named after a Polish mathematician and cryptologist who helped decipher the German Enigma code in the 1930s.

The main contractor for the two-unit Dolphin class is the Swedish defence company Saab, which is responsible for system design, mission systems and overall integration. The ship design comes from MMC Ship Design & Marine Consulting, a ship design office based in Gdynia - MMC was also involved in the development of the Swedish SIGINT platform HSwMS "Artemis". The ships were built at the Remontowa shipyard in Gdańsk.

The two Delfin ships will replace the outdated Modified Moma class reconnaissance vessels from the 1970s and mark a qualitative leap in maritime reconnaissance capability, not only for Poland, but for the entire Baltic Sea region. With comprehensive ELINT/COMINT functionality, they are designed to detect maritime electronic signals across a broad spectrum.

The first unit, the "Jerzy Różycki", was already launched in July 2025. Equipment, integration of the mission systems and sea trials are now planned for both units. Delivery is scheduled for 2027-28. Details on the units are scarce.

Strategically, the expansion of SIGINT capacities is an important contribution to situational awareness in the Baltic Sea region. Neither Saab nor the Polish authorities are providing any further details on the specific electronic reconnaissance systems on board the Dolphin class. However, the direction of travel is clear: Poland is building up a specific maritime ELINT/COMINT capability and strengthening its role in the allied ISR network in the increasingly contested Baltic Sea region.

hum, ajs