Poland has signed an agreement to procure three A26 submarines from Saab. The deal also includes weapons, training and support packages, and is complemented by a Swedish support programme as well as the leasing of the submarine HMS Södermanland during a transitional period.
According to Saab, the company has signed a contract with the Polish Ministry of Defence's procurement authority for the production and delivery of three A26 submarines. The order is worth approximately 47 billion Swedish kronor and also includes weapons packages, training and support. Deliveries will take place successively, with final delivery planned for 2038.
"We are greatly honoured that Poland has chosen submarines from Saab to strengthen its defence capability and deepen the strategic cooperation between our two countries. The three A26 submarines meet Poland's current and future defence needs and will play a central role in enhancing security in the Baltic Sea region," said Saab's President and CEO Micael Johansson in a press release from Saab.
Saab also states that the company intends to establish maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity in Poland, in cooperation with Polish industry, to support the submarines' operation throughout their entire lifecycle.
A press release from the Swedish Government states that Sweden and Poland are simultaneously deepening their security and defence cooperation. As part of the agreement, Poland will lease the Swedish submarine HMS Södermanland until 2032 in order to maintain an operational underwater capability before the new submarines are delivered. Sweden will also support the Polish submarine programme from approximately 2027 to 2038, including by giving Polish personnel access to test and trial activities involving HMS Blekinge and HMS Skåne.
"The Swedish-Polish submarine cooperation will strengthen competitiveness and economic growth in both countries and create thousands of jobs in both Poland and Sweden," said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the press release.
"Poland's choice of the A26 is based on the submarines' unique characteristics, specifically developed for the challenging conditions of the Baltic Sea. The shallow water environment, complex seabed structures and limited operational space place high demands on stealth, manoeuvrability and endurance, areas in which the A26 offers advanced solutions," said Defence Minister Pål Jonson in the same press release.
According to the Polish procurement authority, the first submarine is to begin delivery in 2031 and enter operational service following the training of a Polish crew and the completion of sea trials in 2032. The three submarines are to be equipped for operations in the Baltic Sea, including torpedoes, minelaying capability and support for special forces operations. The authority also states that the agreement includes technology transfer to the Polish defence industry for future maintenance, repairs and modernisations.
The Polish procurement authority has additionally signed a separate agreement with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for the leasing of a Södermanland-class submarine, which is to be commissioned by the Polish Navy in 2027 following the completion of crew training.
The deal follows the process that began in November 2025, when Poland selected Sweden as its partner in the ORKA submarine programme. In December of the same year, the two countries' defence ministers signed a memorandum of understanding that laid the foundation for the subsequent negotiations, as Nordic Defence Sector has previously reported.