ORP Mewa was part of NATO's standing mine countermeasure forces four times and participated in many international maneuvers and exercises, neutralizing dangerous remnants from World War II in Polish and foreign waters.

[1] Initially, the new vessels were intended to be roadstead minesweepers, capable of conducting both contact and non-contact mine clearance operations in the vicinity of naval bases and laying small minefields.

2 developed a modified minesweeper design with a displacement of 425 tons, powered by Italian Fiat diesel engines, as no suitable propulsion units were being produced in socialist countries.

[11] The shipyard used a method of building the vessel's hull from sections joined on the slipway, a technique previously developed for the mass production of fishing trawlers.

[12][22] The ship was also equipped with 8 smoke candle racks, a Kurs-4 gyrocompass, UKPM-1M and UKPM-3M magnetic compasses, a NEŁ-5 echo sounder, MGŁ-25 chip log, and an infrared group navigation system called Chmiel.

[e][24][30] The ship, bearing the pennant number 623, joined the 13th Minesweeper Division of the 9th Coastal Defense Flotilla [pl], stationed in Hel, with its first commander being Lieutenant Marian Brzeziński.

[12][27] Together with other minesweepers, Mewa participated in almost all major exercises of Polish ships and Warsaw Pact maneuvers, often taking part in neutralizing unexploded ordnance from World War II.

[33][47] From 2 to 14 October 1995, the ship took part in the Belgian Navy’s mine defense exercises Sandy Coast (together with the minehunters Czajka and Rybitwa [pl] and the tanker Bałtyk).

[52][55] The superstructure housed, among other things, the main command post and a two-compartment diving chamber from the Szczecin-based company Aquaticus, intended for new crew members – divers.

[26] An environmentally important modification was the installation of a new sewage treatment plant, recovered oil and oily water tanks, and a seawater desalination unit.

[33][64] In December, ORP Mewa, Śniardwy, and Gopło [pl] participated in Passex exercises with NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group (MCMForNorth).

[33] From May 8 to 22, Mewa participated with the minesweepers Śniardwy and Gopło in the international Blue Game 2000 exercises held in the Norwegian and Baltic Seas.

[33][66] In the second half of the year, the ship underwent a minor modernization at the Naval Shipyard in Gdynia, where improvements were made to the galley, ventilation system, and stronger hydraulic actuators for the sweep gear were installed.

[33][76] On October 12, Mewa became the first Polish vessel to join NATO's MCMForNorth,[9][77] where she served until 12 December 2002 under the command of Captain Cezary Gnoza, visiting ports such as Turku, Helsinki, Gdynia, and Frederikshavn.

[33][78] On 27 February 2003, Mewa hosted a Latvian delegation, including President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga, Defense Minister Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, and Navy Commander Ilmārs Lešinskis.

[79] From April 28 to May 16, the ship, alongside Czajka and the transport-minelayer ORP Poznań, participated in the Blue Game 2003 exercises in the Danish straits and southern Baltic.

[33][82] From 8 to 29 April 2005, ORP Mewa and Kondor [pl] took part in NATO's Loyal Mariner 05 exercises in the North Sea, Kattegat, and Skagerrak.

[33][83] From August 16 to October 24, 2005, Mewa joined the Standing NATO Response Force Mine-countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1), operating in the Atlantic, North Sea, and Danish straits, visiting Glasgow, Faslane, Copenhagen, Sønderborg, Zeebrugge, and Rønne.

[33][84] In September 2005, the ship participated in Danex-05 international exercises in the Baltic Sea, which involved vessels from 13 countries (Poland was represented by ORP Gen. K. Pułaski, Sokół, and two Mil Mi-14PŁ ASW helicopters).

[31][87] ORP Mewa and 19 other vessels took part in the largest annual exercises of the Polish Armed Forces, Anakonda 2006, held from September 21 to 29.

[33][89] Between August 31 and September 10, ORP Mewa and Czajka participated in the international mine countermeasure exercise Open Spirit 2007, held in the waters of the Baltic States.

[33][90] From October 17 to 19, the ship took part in a challenging operation to neutralize seven World War II torpedoes lying on the seabed of the Bay of Puck, directed by Commander Piotr Mieczkowski of the 13th Minesweeper Squadron.

[93] Between August 31 and September 11, 2009, in the waters of the Gulf of Riga, ORP Mewa (commanded by Captain Arkadiusz Kurdybelski) and Flaming participated in the mine countermeasure operation Open Spirit 2009.

[33][94] From November 6 to 9, ORP Mewa, Flaming, Mamry, and Gopło took part in the international MCM SQNEX 09 exercises in the Baltic Sea.

[97] During this mission, the ship sailed 6,700 nautical miles, taking part in the Danex-10, Northern Coast, Joint Warrior, and Passex exercises and visiting ports in Finland, Denmark, Scotland, Germany, Norway, and Ireland.

[102] From August 22 to September 5, Mewa participated in the Open Spirit 2011 operation in the waters of the Gulf of Riga, destroying a German non-contact bottom mine weighing 300 kg.

[33][103] On 12 June 2012, on the 25th anniversary of John Paul II’s third pilgrimage to Poland, Vatican Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone took a cruise on Mewa.

[104] From April 9 to 12, Mewa’s crew, along with a group of naval mine divers, participated in the recovery of German steam torpedoes from World War II, type G7a, resting on the seabed near the entrance to the port of Gdynia.

[33][106] From 1 to 12 September 2014, ORP Mewa, Flaming, Hańcza [pl], Nakło, and Drużno took part in the Northern Coast 2014 exercises in the Gulf of Bothnia.

[33][107] In the last week of October, the crew of ORP Mewa successfully completed certification ahead of the ship’s planned 2015 service with NATO’s Mine Countermeasures Response Force.