Polish Minister of Defense Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Photo: Piotr Nowak / PAP / Profimedia Images
Poland announced on Wednesday that it has selected the Swedish company Saab for the purchase of three submarines, in a contract worth billions of dollars, considered essential for strengthening the country's defense in the Baltic Sea, reports Reuters, taken by News.ro.
Warsaw is stepping up its military investments to counter what it perceives as a growing threat from Russia, following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The agreement on submarines, part of the “Orka” program, also marks Poland's ambition to build a strategic alliance in the Baltic Sea within the European Union, against the background of the loss of relevance of the old alliances in Central Europe, divided over Russia and the direction of the EU.
“Sweden presented the best offer in all respects – delivery time, operational capacity, especially for the Baltic Sea environment,” said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
Poland continues to arm itself. The substantial amount he allocated for American-made anti-tank weaponry
Interoperability of the Swedish and Polish navies
The estimated value of the contract is approximately 10 billion zlotys ($2.73 billion). Sweden has also committed to purchase some weaponry from Poland, as part of a wider cooperation agreement, and to provide a temporary (“gap-filler”) submarine for the training of Polish teams.
Saab, a manufacturer of fighter jets, surveillance systems, missiles and submarines, will supply Poland with A26 models. Kosiniak-Kamysz said it wants commercial completion of the contract by the second quarter of 2026 at the latest, with the first delivery scheduled for 2030.
The Baltic region is on high alert after a series of suspicious incidents of damage to underwater infrastructure from 2022, although authorities have not found enough evidence to confirm deliberate sabotage.
The Swedish submarines are designed to counter threats from the seabed and will help NATO monitor and prevent potential attacks. The Stockholm government emphasized that Russia's aggressiveness increases the importance of defense cooperation in the Baltic Sea.
“This agreement creates a common system for underwater operations in the Baltic Sea and strengthens interoperability between the Swedish and Polish navies,” said Defense Minister Pål Jonson.
The devices will also include British equipment, and Poland, Sweden and Great Britain will together form a significant force in the Baltic region, the statement said.
Saab shares rose 2.6% after the contract was announced. In September, the company had signed a defense cooperation memorandum with Polish group PGZ. Poland had also received offers from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and South Korea, and Great Britain had supported Sweden's candidacy.
