Warsaw is betting on Stockholm. Germany loses a key contract in the Baltic Sea

Poland's choice of Sweden as a supplier of submarines means a missed opportunity for the German industry to deepen cooperation with Warsaw in security policy – commented the website of the daily “Muenchner Merkur”, published in Munich.

The Bavarian newspaper recalled that he participated in the tender for the Polish order German manufacturer from Kiel, TKMS (Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems), as well bidders from France, Spain, Italy and South Korea. TKMS is considered one of the leading submarine manufacturers in the world and has introduced a modern 212CD type ship to the market, already ordered by the German and Norwegian navies. Nevertheless, as noted, the German company did not manage to win the Polish tender.

“Despite the defeat, the economic situation (TKMS – PAP) looks excellent: according to media reports, the submarine manufacturer is assured of full occupancy until the 2040s. Nevertheless, Poland's decision shows that in addition to pure engineering, geopolitical and operational factors are also decisive,” it was emphasized.

“For the northern German industry, however, losing an order means not only failure, but also a missed opportunity to deepen cooperation with Poland in the field of security policy,” said “Muenchner Merkur”.

The Munich daily noted that the Baltic Sea is a strategically important area where Germany and Poland will cooperate more closely in the future to meet challenges from Russia and other entities.

Poland decided to choose the Swedish offer as part of the submarine acquisition program called Orka. Sweden is to provide the Polish Navy with three A26-type submarines and – as part of the gap filler capability – an A17 or A19 type ship, which will be intended for training and temporarily ensuring the ability to operate underwater until the target units are received.

Currently, Polish sailors have one submarine – ORP Orzeł, built in 1985 in the USSR. The ship has been regularly requiring repairs for several years.

From Berlin Iwona Weidmann (PAP)

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