The above image is for representational purposes only.
Poland’s Ministry of National Defence has finalized an agreement with Swedish defense company Saab for the acquisition of three A26-class submarines for the Polish Navy.
According to Saab, the contract is valued at approximately SEK 47 billion (around $4.8 billion), with all three submarines expected to be delivered by 2038. As part of the agreement, Saab will also collaborate closely with Polish industry partners to establish maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities within Poland.
The agreement was officially signed on June 29 in Gdynia, the Baltic coastal city that hosts a significant portion of Poland’s naval fleet. The signing ceremony was attended by the prime ministers and defense ministers of both Poland and Sweden.
Speaking during the ceremony, Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, emphasized that the advanced submarines will be equipped to deploy swarms of unmanned systems to help protect the country’s coastline and critical maritime infrastructure.
“Through the agreement signed today, Poland is procuring three fifth-generation A26 submarines,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said in a statement issued by the ministry. “These vessels represent the most advanced submarines designed for operations in the Baltic Sea and are capable of supporting both naval missions and special forces operations. They will also be able to launch and control drone swarms from onboard, enhancing the monitoring and protection of the Baltic Sea’s security infrastructure.”
Separately, Poland plans to quickly obtain an interim submarine to support training operations for its naval personnel in the Baltic region. Officials indicated that the Swedish submarine HMS Södermanland is expected to fulfill this role.
In recent months, Warsaw has accelerated efforts to modernize and strengthen its naval capabilities, an area that has historically received less investment than other branches of the Polish armed forces.
Among the latest initiatives, Poland’s defense ministry signed a contract with U.S.-based defense technology company Shield AI to acquire V-BAT unmanned aerial systems for naval operations.
