A unique specimen in the world. Meet Głuptak and Ukwiał, mine destroyers from GUT

Date added: 2021-07-26

There is no other university in the world to build a similar device. Today, these vessels are used during training and mine clearing operations, mostly for bottom mines and moored mines. We are talking about deep-water anti-mine system Ukwiał and OPM Głuptak created at Gdańsk University of Technology. How do they work and what are the differences between them?

OPM Głuptak system was designed to identify and destroy mines in sea basins whose depth ranges from 5 to 200 meters. It is powered by four screw propellers with electrical motors. Maximum speed of the vessel relatively to water is 3 m/s which translates into 1 m/s relatively to the sea bed with current speed of 2 m/s. This allows the device to reach a target located 400 meters away in 10 minutes. The device features technical solutions that place it among the best vessels of this type in the world.

OPM Ukwiał has been on duty in the navy since 1999. When a navy vessel is near a mine, the device is placed in the water and moves to the target controlled by an operator. A sweeper sonar is activated and its data allow the operator to safely steer the vessel to a distance from which the target can be sighted by its cameras. The vessel can mark a detailed location of the mine setting a transmitter nearby, or determine the detailed geographical coordinates of the mine. It can remain near the mine until the divers arrive or it can place a remotely activated explosive charge Toczek.

Ukwiał uses explosive charges produced by the Research and Development Unit of the Marine Technology Center, while Głuptak is a kamikaze of a kind - it explodes with the mine it destroys - says Aleksander Gierkowski, MSc, ME of the Institute of Ocean Technology and Shipbuilding at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Ship Technology.

Where do they operate?

OPM Ukwiał was used on mine destroyers design 206 FM ORP "Mewa", "Czajka" and "Flaming". Currently it is based on ORP "Czajka" since the other two were decommissioned. The Navy is currently working on transferring the system to 207 P type vessels ORP "Drużno" and "Hańcza".

OPM Głuptak is currently based on ORP "Kormoran" - a new mine destroyer of Polish Navy, and it will soon be also based on two other vessels being built in Remontowa Shipbuilding shipyard - "Albatros" and "Mewa".

On June 30, the Command of the Navy Port in Świnoujście selected the tender of the Marine Technology Center - the producer of Głuptak and Ukwiał systems - to repair Ukwiał, modify Głuptak and launch the systems on type 207 vessels with training. The value of the contract exceeds 2.2 million złotys.

Mobile version

Additionally, we constructed a mobile version of these systems (caged) to facilitate their usage on other type 207 vessels and other eligible ships used by Polish Navy – says Aleksander Gierkowski.

Ukwiał was developed at GUT in 1995 and it entered service in 1999 on three type 206FM mine destroyers.

OPM Głuptak was developed by the team lead by professor Lech Rowiński, PhD, DSc, ME and Bogumił Porala, MSc, ME from the Institute of Ocean Technology and Shipbuilding.