Poland chooses Sweden's Saab to supply it with three submarines

Poland said on Wednesday it had chosen Sweden's Saab to supply it with three submarines, in a multi-billion-dollar deal that forms a key element of Warsaw's efforts to bolster its defences in the Baltic Sea, Report informs via Reuters.

Warsaw has been ramping up investments in the armed forces to counter what it sees as a growing threat from Russia after Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

The deal with Sweden under the "Orka" programme to boost Poland's military exemplifies Warsaw's efforts to build a Baltic Sea alliance within the European Union, as its traditional Central European alliance loses significance due to divisions over Russia and approaches towards the EU.

"Sweden presented the best offer in terms of all criteria, delivery time, and operational capability, especially in the Baltic Sea," Deputy Prime Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference.

He estimated the value of the deal at around 10 billion zlotys ($2.73 billion), and said Sweden had committed to buy some armaments from Poland as part of a wider cooperation agreement, and to provide a "gap-filler" submarine for the Polish army to train on.

Saab, which makes a wide range of military equipment including fighter jets, surveillance systems, missiles and submarines, will supply Poland with its A26 submarines.

Kosiniak-Kamysz said he would like the commercial deal concluded no later than the second quarter of 2026 and he expected the first delivery in 2030.

Warsaw had also received offers from Germany, Italy, France, Spain and South Korea. Britain had lent its support to the Swedish bid.