For Poland, the purchase of submarines from Sweden means replacing the Soviet Lada from the 1980s with a new Volvo, and for NATO, strengthening its dominance in the Baltic Sea – said the Swedish newspaper “Dagens Nyheter” on Thursday.
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What submarines will Poland buy in Sweden?
How many A26 ships will Poland buy?
What are the main advantages of the A26 ships?
What ships does NATO have in the Baltic Sea?
The daily recalled that the Polish Navy currently has only one obsolete warship, manufactured in the USSR. However, the acquisition of three state-of-the-art A26 ships from Saab means greater opportunities for camouflage, reconnaissance, and the release of divers and underwater drones. Other advantages include the possibility of being equipped with completely different weapon systems and sensors.
The Swedish newspaper emphasized that for NATO, three new submarines with a home port in the Baltic Sea are “another strengthening of domination under the water surface.” Currently, the North Atlantic Alliance has eleven units of this type in the Baltic Sea, and Russia has two to four of them.
At the same time, “Dagens Nyheter” reminded that so far the A26 model has been ordered by one recipient – the Swedish Navy, which is waiting for two copies, HMS Blekinge and HMS Skane. However, the project became notorious for cost overruns and delays. The original plan was for delivery in 2027 and 2028, but it was ultimately postponed to 2031-33. The original price has also increased significantly.
Swedish public broadcaster SVT noted that cooperation with Poland could contribute to “sharing the costs of submarine development in Sweden” and is a good impulse for the future. For Sweden, this also means the development of the shipyard in Karlskrona and more jobs in the economically less developed region in the south of the country.
In turn, Swedish Radio assessed that thanks to the agreement, Sweden and Poland could “block” the Baltic Sea. “There is hope that both countries will dominate the Baltic Sea together,” the radio commentator emphasized. She added that experts remind that Swedish submarines are technologically adapted to the Baltic conditions.
Poland will buy submarines from Sweden
On Wednesday, the Polish government decided to purchase three modern submarines from Sweden as part of the Orka program – currently one of the most important modernization programs of the Navy.
The Swedish offer includes the delivery of three A26 Blekinge ships manufactured by the Saab-Kockums shipyard. The A26 Blekinge ships are based on a modular structure, equipped with a diesel-electric drive, as well as an air-independent propulsion module (AIP), increasing the possibility of staying submerged for a long time. The basic armament of the ships is 533 mm torpedo launchers and a dock allowing, among others, for launching underwater unmanned aerial vehicles or secret transport to special forces missions.
Currently, Polish sailors have one ship, ORP “Orzeł”, built in 1985 in the USSR. The ship has been regularly requiring repairs for several years.
