The Maritime Division of Poland’s Border Guard announced on 22 July 2026 that three of its officers had successfully completed one of the force’s most demanding programmes – the Special Boat Operators Course – covering 2,280 nautical miles (4,220 km) around the Baltic Sea. The training, run in cooperation with special-forces units GROM and FORMOZA, included night navigation, VBSS (visit, board, search and seizure) drills on offshore platforms and LNG terminals, and high-speed interception in rough weather. Graduates are now certified to pilot the SG-900 class combat-craft that patrol shipping lanes to Gdańsk and the Świnoujście LNG terminal, key gateways for Poland’s energy imports. The course responds to a surge in irregular sea crossings and drone incursions reported by Baltic neighbours, and aligns with EU calls for tighter external-border maritime capabilities. For shipping companies and cruise operators the Border Guard’s expanded skill set promises quicker response times to distress calls but also more frequent compliance checks. Vessels approaching Polish ports can expect stepped-up document inspections, particularly of crew visas and ship-security plans. Logistics providers moving project cargo to the new offshore-wind-farm construction sites off Łeba should factor in possible boarding delays. The agency stressed that the training’s inter-service format improves interoperability with NATO navies, a strategic objective given heightened regional tensions. Additional courses are planned for 2027, when Poland is due to deploy two new Damen Stan Patrol 5011 vessels equipped with biometric enrolment stations to feed the EU Entry-Exit System directly from the high seas.
Source: Nadmorski24.pl
