The new submarines are a long -distance cruise. Ministry of National Defense: Intergovernmental consultations are underway

The Ministry of National Defense ensures that the plowing program, providing for the purchase of new submarines for the Navy, continues and is currently at the stage of intergovernmental consultations with potential partners, regarding not only technical matters, but to broader strategic cooperation.

Acquiring new submarines is – next to the already ordered and emerging frigate Miecznik – the most urgent matter when it comes to maintaining and developing the ability of the Polish Navy in the coming years.

Currently, Polish sailors have one completely outdated ORP “Orzeł” ship, built in 1985 in the USSR. For several years, this ship regularly requires repairs – and in the case of its possible withdrawal from service in MW, there will be no equipment on which they could train or even maintain the ability of the sailors of submarines.

As part of the Orka program, the Polish Army defined the abilities that new submarines are to provide with the army. Such units are to be able to immerse deeper than 200 m under the water surface, and also be able to act autonomous (without wrapping to the port or external support) for min. 30 days. In addition, plowing is to be armed with torpedoes for combating hostile surface and underwater ships, as well as rocket launchers, allowing the targets of the enemy on the coast, or even – depending on the type of weapons – in the depths of the land.

The main task of such equipped ships is the possibility of secretive operation at the sea and attacking the surprise of enemy ships or quays. In addition, submarines are useful in patrolling and protecting sea communication routes, patrolling the understood critical infrastructure, and can also be used for tasks such as unnoticed transport of special troops soldiers to the place of the mission and their subsequent evacuation. Among the requirements of the army, it is also the ability to use sea mines, as well as the use of underwater drones.

Nevertheless, the purchase of submarines was indicated as a priority in the plans of technical modernization of the army over several years, including in 2013-2022. The program was also saved in subsequent plans-for 2017-2026 and 2021-2035. Despite this, the supplier has not been selected and signing the contract; In the meantime, the MW submarine was depleted by four small Norwegian Kobben submarines, which entered the equipment of the jacket in 2002, and by 2021 they were withdrawn from service.

The former crew of one of the cobbles – ORP “Sokol” – returned in an open letter published last week to the Minister of National Defense. The sailors in a letter wrote that “in the face of a dynamically changing security environment in the Baltic Sea region, further delaying of the decision (on the purchase of submarines – PAP) becomes a serious threat to the interests of Poland and maritime security of the state.” “We, crew members of the ORP + Sokół + (…) Call the Polish government to take urgent and specific actions aimed at rebuilding the underwater forces of the Navy. The time of honorary declarations has passed – the moment of the decision has come” – the former crews of “Sokoła” turn to the authorities.

The current edition of the Orka program was initiated in 2023, when the return to the program and the purchase of submarines was announced by the then defense minister Mariusz Błaszczak. 11 entities came to the proceedings, primarily from Europe – from France, Spain, Italy, Germany and Sweden – as well as from South Korea. The successor of Blaszczak in the Ministry of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz declared at the end of 2024 that “we will do everything to sign a contract for modern submarines in 2025.” The importance of an urgent decision in this matter was emphasized by military commanders as well as President Andrzej Duda and the BBN.

In the following months, the armament agency dealing in military equipment purchased the completed offers; The highest grades, as the defense ministry informed PAP, received offers from Germany, Sweden and Italy (in alphabetical order), while not excluding any of the other offers. In these three countries, the deputy head of the monitors Paweł Bejda went to the shipyard in these three countries over the past months.

He reacted to the crew of the crew of “Sokol” in the Ministry of Defense published on portal x. The minister Kosiniak-Kamysz signed under it ensures that he agrees with the opinion of the crew of “Sokol” and that “currently the management of the Ministry of National Defense does not avoid the decision.” “An advanced, multi -stage process is going on to choose a submarine contractor,” he wrote.

According to PAP of the Ministry of National Defense, the Armaments Agency after examining the market and collecting offers submitted full documentation – hardware requirements and enforcement study, containing analyzes and recommendations, to the Council of Technical Modernization, i.e. the authority operating at the Ministry of National Defense, which includes, among others Coordination of arms policy.

“Currently, according to the procedure in force for the projects of this scale and meaning, we conduct intergovernmental consultations – in the G2G formula (Government -TO -GoverNment) – with potential partners taking into account not only the technical values ​​of offers, but also guarantees of supply security, service support, technology transfer and long -term strategic cooperation” – the defense ministry informed.

On Monday, the Rzeczpospolita daily wrote that “contrary to the government's declarations, there is no chance that Poland will sign a contract for the purchase of submarines by the end of the year. There is no guarantee that this year there will be a selection of the state from which we want to buy them.” The text indicates, among others, that the choice of one of the European suppliers may be associated with the appeals of the decision by the others. “At the current stage of consulting, the risk of appeals is not identified,” the resort stated in a message transferred to PAP.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, dear unbelievers.

Underwater ships are one of the key elements of modern military fleets – units of this type, armed with rockets with nuclear heads, are one of the most important elements of nuclear deterrence of such countries such as the USA, Russia, France and Great Britain. The largest submarines of countries whose fleets regularly operate on the oceans are powered by nuclear reactors. Slightly smaller units, driven by diesel and electric engines, are equipped with fleets of many countries investing in their defense at sea. (PAP)

Mikołaj Małecki

MML/ ITM/ LM/