Sweden to supply new submarines to Poland
fot. MON
The government has decided to purchase three modern submarines from Sweden under the ORKA programme. This is a key element in building a new security architecture in the Baltic Sea.
The decision of a chosen partner country for the ORKA programme was announced on 26 November this year. The country of first choice was announced to be Sweden, with its offer of three A26 submarines, with the declared delivery date of the first submarine by 2030, and a gap-filler of the A17 submarine. The training will begin in 2026, and the transfer of the gap-filler will be conducted in 2027.
On 17 December 2025, the deputy prime minister – minister of national defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and the minister of defence of Sweden Pål Jonson have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Warsaw, outlining the main goals of the strategic partnership rooted in the submarines acquisition programme. The MoU is also a guideline for both governments, giving a path for the acquisition of submarines in the ORKA programme.
The Memorandum specifies, among other matters, the number of submarines and dates of delivery, as well as the framework of a future contract. According to the Memorandum, the purchase will be rooted in a comprehensive acquisition of armaments dedicated for the A26 submarines as well as logistical solutions. Thanks to the MoU, the Polish defence industry will gain, as a result of the transfer of technologies, the capabilities to maintain, repair and service the submarines and their dedicated armaments in their entire life cycle, and the Swedish side pledges to include Polish defence companies in the process of manufacturing armaments for the Swedish Armed Forces, allowing for the increase of their attractiveness and competitiveness. This entails ia. the use of Polish-produced parts and components in Swedish defence platforms.
Source: Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej
