On Wednesday, November 26, 2025, during a press conference at the Council of Ministers, Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that Sweden has been selected as the winner in the Orka program for the acquisition of three new-generation submarines.
Image: Saab Defence and Security
“This is a great day for the security of the Polish state; this is a great day for the Polish Navy. We are finalizing our promise, fulfilling what we declared. Poland will acquire three submarines under the Orka program. We are building a new security architecture. This decision creates a new security architecture in the Baltic Sea. After analyzing the responses of individual countries, the team recommended Sweden as the top choice,” said Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.
He stated that an intergovernmental agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden will be signed later this year. The execution contract with the manufacturer, Saab Defence and Security, is expected in the second quarter of 2026.
“Sweden presented the best offer in an objective analysis, in terms of price, delivery time, combat capabilities, and operability in the Baltic Sea basin,” the defense minister said.
“Additionally, Poland wanted to gain new capabilities for the shipbuilding industry, and Sweden’s declarations were the most far-reaching, regarding investments, servicing, and repair work in Poland,” he added.
Sweden also committed to purchasing Polish armaments (mention was made of a rescue vessel), in addition to the already acquired Piorun man-portable air-defense systems.
“The submarines will be built in Swedish shipyards with the involvement of Polish shipyards, but it will take several years before they enter service with the Polish Navy,” he noted.
Therefore, an interim, so-called gap filler submarine will be acquired. Training in Sweden will begin in 2026, and the vessel will be handed over to Poland in 2027.
The agreement with Sweden will be negotiated but will exceed 10 billion PLN in value, and deliveries are expected by Poland starting in 2030.
“I thank everyone who took part in the discussions, in completing the questionnaires, in the efforts related to presenting their offers. It was a very professional approach from all countries. All offers deserved respect and consideration. I am aware that only one offer, one country, could ultimately be selected, with which in the coming weeks, I would like the agreement to be signed still this year, an agreement will be concluded between the Government of the Republic of Poland and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden. Sweden presented the best offer according to the team, and this was confirmed by the Council of Ministers. In an objective analysis of all criteria, delivery time, price, value, operational capabilities, especially in the Baltic Sea basin. (…) Before the submarines can enter service with the Polish Navy, we want our sailors to already be learning to operate a more modern vessel than the one we currently have, so that this ‘gap filler’ serves as a training submarine, filling the gap between the signing of the contract and the delivery of the new submarines to the Polish Navy,” the defense minister said.
“The proximity of Sweden and NATO membership also means access to Swedish infrastructure for operating submarines and other types of military equipment. Joint exercises, joint qualification improvement, joint security guarantees, for which I am very grateful. (…) I thank my colleagues, the ministers, the generals from the Armament Agency, for their approach to this task, that together within the Ministry of National Defence team, with Minister Tomczyk, Minister Bejda, Zalewski, and Wziątek, we formed a team that recognized this as a top priority,” the deputy prime minister emphasized.
The bidders in the Orka program were:
- Sweden and Saab Defence and Security with the A26 Oceanic design;
- Germany/Norway and TKMS with the U212CD design;
- Italy and Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani with the U212 NFS design;
- France and Naval Group with the Scorpène Evolved Full LiB design;
- Spain and Navantia with the S-80 Plus design;
- The Republic of Korea with Hanwha Ocean with the KSS-III Batch II design and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries with the HDS-2300 and KSS-III PL designs.
Bids were submitted by entities from the original list of eleven interested parties identified during the initial market consultations on July 14, 2023. The highest ratings, in alphabetical order, went to the offers from Germany, Sweden, and Italy, although the remaining contenders were not ruled out.
To recap, the Orka Program Task Force was established on September 30 of this year under Directive No. 26/MON, as a result of a Council of Ministers resolution of September 17, which required that a supplier of new submarines be selected by the end of the current year. On November 19, Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz announced that the Task Force responsible for developing a recommendation for the acquisition of new submarines under the Orka program had prepared its recommendations for the Council of Ministers.
A26 Oceanic
The Swedish company Saab Defence and Security offered the A26 Oceanic submarine. It is an export variant of the domestic A26 Blekinge.
A26 Blekinge-class submarines are expected to measure 65 meters in length, 6.4 meters in beam, 6 meters in draft, and have a displacement of 1,925 tons. Their construction will be modular (the submarine may consist of up to nine main modules). Thanks to a diesel-electric propulsion system combined with Stirling engines (an air-independent propulsion system) and GHOST (Genuine HOlistic STealth) technology, the submarine will provide an underwater speed of 12 knots, an endurance of 18 to 45 days, and a diving depth exceeding 200 meters. The crew will consist of 18 to 26 officers and sailors (with room for an additional 11 personnel). Armament will include 533 mm heavy torpedoes, 400 mm TS47 lightweight torpedoes, and naval mines. The estimated service life is 30 years.
Export variants are offered with 18-tube launchers for UGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
>>>Swedish A26 Submarine and Poland’s Orka Program<<<
UPDATE
Saab Defence and Security commented on the selection of the Swedish offer:
The Swedish government’s offer concerning Saab A26 submarines for Poland has been selected by the Polish government to replace the current Kilo-class submarine. So far, Saab has not signed any contract nor received any order.
The Swedish offer includes Saab’s advanced A26 submarines equipped with the latest innovations and technologies. It also includes cooperation with the Polish industry and the transfer of knowledge, ensuring a strategic partnership between Poland and Sweden.
“We are honored to have been selected and look forward to negotiations with the Armament Agency in Poland. The Swedish offer, which includes submarines tailored to the Baltic Sea, is the right choice for the Polish people. It will significantly strengthen the operational capabilities of the Polish Navy and benefit the Polish economy,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab.
Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV – Försvarets materielverk) under the Ministry of Defence of the Kingdom of Sweden will now work together with the Polish authorities to carry out the next stages of the procurement process.
See also:
‼️Niezwykle ważny dzień dla bezpieczeństwa Polski i dla naszej Marynarki Wojennej 🇵🇱
Polska zakupi od Szwecji 3 okręty podwodne. To decyzja, która buduje nową architekturę bezpieczeństwa na Bałtyku. Kontrakt na zakup okrętów podwodnych to nie tylko pozyskanie nowego sprzętu dla… pic.twitter.com/wQ0FiXITDa
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) November 26, 2025
Orka!!!
⭕️Wybór padł na Królestwo Szwecji.
⭕️To jedyny okręt, który spełnił wszystkie wymagania polskiej Marynarki Wojennej. To naczelne kryterium.
⭕️Szwecja zainwestuje też setki milionów złotych w polski przemysł stoczniowy.
⭕️Szwecja dokona też zakupów polskiego…— Cezary Tomczyk (@CTomczyk) November 26, 2025
NA ŻYWO|Konferencja prasowa Rzecznika Rządu Adama Szłapki i Wicepremiera Władysław Kosiniaka-Kamysza https://t.co/5X6R064GM7
— Kancelaria Premiera (@PremierRP) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: to wielki dzień dla bezpieczeństwa państwa polskiego i dla Marynarki Wojennej. (…) Od początku prac rządku, od czasu powstania naszego rządu program #ORKA był naszym priorytetem. Polska 🇵🇱 pozyska 3 okręty podwodne w ramach programu #ORKA.
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: budujemy nową architekturę bezpieczeństwa na Bałtyku. Zespół ds. #ORKA rekomendował państwo pierwszego wyboru – tym państwem jest Szwecja.
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: chciałbym, żeby jeszcze w tym roku zawarta została umowa pomiędzy rządami. Szwecja przedstawiła najlepszą ofertę we wszystkich kryteriach #ORKA. pic.twitter.com/FjnfPSnj5V
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: podpisując umowę na okręty #ORKA musimy pamiętać, że to zamówienie wymaga czasu na jego realizację. Te okręty będą budowane w Szwecji i przy udziale polskich stoczni. Ale to wymaga czasu. Do tego czasu chcemy, aby nasi marynarze mogli się szkolić… pic.twitter.com/bozDeOy5zd
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: oferta Szwecji 🇸🇪jest jedyną, która spełniła wszystkie oczekiwania Marynarki Wojennej🇵🇱 #ORKA
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
Wicepremier W. @KosiniakKamysz: #ORKA to przykład kontraktu, który jest pozyskaniem nie tylko nowego sprzętu dla #WojskoPolskie, ale pozyskanie także zdolności dla gospodarki polskiej i polskiego przemysłu zbrojeniowego.
— Ministerstwo Obrony Narodowej 🇵🇱 (@MON_GOV_PL) November 26, 2025
The Swedish government’s offer of Saab’s A26 submarines to Poland has been selected by the Polish government to replace the current Kilo-class.
Read more here: https://t.co/pMh2oI6iw2#A26 #Submarines #SuperiorAtSea pic.twitter.com/ev7aJ4TMEq— Saab (@Saab) November 26, 2025
