Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said he had held talks with his Swedish counterpart on defence cooperation and bilateral defence industry agreements. Among the most closely watched topics was the Orka submarine programme, with the contract for Poland's new submarines expected to be signed by the end of this month.

The meeting with Swedish Defence Minister Pål Jonson took place on the sidelines of the NATO Defence Ministers' Meeting in Brussels. The ministers and their delegations also took part in a series of accompanying events at NATO Headquarters.

– By the end of June, we intend to sign agreements between the defence industries of Poland and Sweden. The Orka programme is not merely a contract to procure submarines; it is also a framework for broader industrial and economic cooperation– Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

The Swedish bid was selected in November last year. Poland opted to procure three A26 (Blekinge-class) submarines, which are being built by Saab Kockums at its shipyard in Karlskrona. In addition, the Polish Navy will receive the HSwMS Södermanland, an A17-class submarine, as an interim capability until the new vessels enter service.

The contract is expected to cover not only the delivery of the submarines themselves, but also the development of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) infrastructure in Poland. The agreement will involve technology transfer and the participation of Polish companies in the programme. Notably, Polish firms are already contributing to the construction of two submarines for the Swedish Navy, with companies including Famor and HG Solutions among those involved.

The question now is whether Polish-Swedish cooperation in the maritime domain will be expanded further. Construction is already under way on two signals intelligence (SIGINT) vessels under the Delfin programme. While Saab is the prime contractor, the ships are being built at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. in Gdańsk.

Photo courtesy of Polish MoD