Poland Signs Contract for Three A26 Submarines

Poland has signed a contract for the acquisition of three Swedish A26-class Blekinge submarines for the Polish Navy. The agreement was signed on Monday, 29 June 2026, in Gdynia, in the presence of Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Swedish counterpart Ulf Kristersson, on the sidelines of Polish-Swedish intergovernmental consultations.

The submarines will be built by Swedish defence company Saab Kockums, which is already constructing the same class of vessels for the Swedish Navy. Sweden was selected as Poland’s partner for the so-called ORKA programme in November last year, when both countries also signed an intergovernmental agreement clearing the way for the project to move forward.

The new submarines will be equipped with diesel-electric propulsion combined with an Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, allowing them to remain submerged for extended periods without surfacing to recharge batteries. They are intended to replace ORP Orzeł, currently the only submarine in active service with the Polish Navy.

The first vessel is scheduled for delivery to Poland in 2030, with the remaining two to follow in subsequent years. The total value of the programme has previously been estimated at around 20 billion Polish zloty. Beyond the construction and delivery of the boats, the contract covers a logistics package, operational support, crew training and the preparation of shore infrastructure necessary for the submarines to enter service.

The programme also includes provisions for industrial cooperation between Poland and Sweden.