ORP Sokół lands at Gdansk Airport

The terminal of Gdansk Airport has become the home port for a submarine - specifically, a replica of ORP Sokół.

The original vessel is located at the Naval Museum in Gdynia, along the representative Seaside Boulevard. From 2002 to 2018, the submarine served in the Polish Navy, taking part in numerous allied and national exercises, mainly in the Baltic Sea.

The appearance of the ORP Sokół model in the airport setting is the result of cooperation between Tomasz Kloskowski, President of Gdansk Lech Walesa Airport, and Tomasz Miegoń, Director of the Naval Museum in Gdynia.

The passenger terminal space was considered an excellent place to showcase one of flagship exhibits of the Museum of Gdynia. The submarine model may intrigue and attract the Airport passengers while also promoting one of Gdynia’s major tourist attractions.

The ORP Sokół model measures 23.7 meters in length and was made at a 1:20 scale using polyester materials. The replica was created by a renowned Gdansk model maker, Tomasz Poręba, whose works enrich exhibitions in many museums across Gdynia, Gdansk and the Pomeranian region.

History of ORP Sokół:
1.    On February 14, 1967, the flag of the Royal Norwegian Navy was raised on the submarine KNM Stord (S-308). Kobben-class submarines were built to strengthen NATO’s northern flank. With financial support from the United States, as many as 15 vessels of this type were constructed between 1964 and 1967. They were based in Bergen until the early 21st century, when a decision was made to decommission them.                                                         
2.    On June 4, 2002, the vessel entered service in the Polish Navy as ORP Sokół, the third ship to bear this name under the Polish flag. It was the first of four Kobben-class submarines (Sokół, Kondor, Sęp, and Bielik) in the Submarine Squadron.
3.    On June 8, 2018, ORP Sokół ended its service under the white-and-red flag. All Polish Kobben-class submarines were decommissioned between 2017 and 2022.In 2020, the Naval Museum in Gdynia took over Sokół. Work to adapt the vessel for exhibition purposes continued until November 2024.                    
4.    In 2025, ORP Sokół was opened to visitors.