Giant Deal – Poland Buys Three Swedish Submarines

An important step in the cooperation is that Poland is signing a previously announced defense agreement where it will buy three new A26 submarines from Saab and lease an older A17 submarine during a transition period. The deal is worth a whopping 47 billion kronor.

On Monday, June 29, Poland signed an agreement with Sweden to purchase three A26 submarines from Saab.

The Saab-built A26 submarine is the world’s first fifth-generation submarine, and represents one of Sweden’s most important military technological investments in modern times. The submarine, which belongs to the new Blekinge class and builds on the already advanced Gotland class, is admittedly only a medium-sized submarine, internationally speaking, at 66 meters and 1,900 tons. But it is also built with world-leading technology that gives it unique capabilities – making it a military powerhouse well suited to the complex underwater environments of the Baltic Sea.

“Poland’s choice of the A26 is based on the submarines’ unique characteristics, especially developed for the challenging conditions in the Baltic Sea,” says Minister of Defense Pål Jonson. The shallow water environment, complex bottom structures and limited operating spaces place high demands on stealth, maneuverability and endurance – areas where the A26 offers advanced solutions, the Minister said during the press conference.

The A26 will have the capacity to drop diving teams and underwater vehicles underwater. Illustration: Saab

The purchase represents a significant step forward not only for security policy in the Baltic Sea, but also strengthens NATO as a whole, according to the Swedish delegation and their Polish partners. It was thus a very happy and satisfied Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson who, together with the Swedish delegation, met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the Polish port city of Gdynia to formally sign the agreement.

“With our joint capabilities, the Baltic Sea has never been so defended”, said Ulf Kristersson during the press conference.

“The ties between Sweden and Poland are stronger than ever and the agreement signed today is a clear confirmation of that. In light of the serious international situation, this is an important message for security in the Baltic Sea region”, said Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard during the press conference.

Nice Weather, Happy Faces Signing

The Swedish delegation, visiting a naval base in the Polish city of Gdynia on Monday, consisted of Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, Minister of Defense Pål Jonson, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister of Culture Parisa Liljestrand, Minister of Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson and Minister for EU Affairs Jessica Rosencrantz.

Swedish and Polish ministers, together with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during today’s meeting in Poland. Photo: X

The purpose of the visit was to further strengthen cooperation between Sweden and Poland, with a specific focus on industry and defense. The long-term goal is for Sweden and Poland to be able to combine their security policy, military and defense industrial capabilities to strengthen security in Europe and, according to the government, “counteract Russia’s ability to pose a threat.”

In bright sunshine and heat that made the Swedish Prime Minister and the Polish Prime Minister take off their jackets, they both announced with happy faces that Sweden and Poland had reached a decisive step in the nations’ common defense policy as allies in NATO.

Ulf Kristersson and Donald Tusk gave speeches during the press conference and presented the expanded military cooperation between Poland and Sweden. Still image of the live broadcast

“As close partners on the Baltic Sea, Poland and Sweden will deepen their cooperation to strengthen security throughout the region. Our cooperation is based on a common view of the long-term threat posed by Russia and the importance of continuing to support Ukraine”, said Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson during the press conference.

The enhanced security and defense cooperation will be called the Baltic Sea Pact. One of the most important points of today’s meeting, as part of the new cooperation and defense pact, was the signing of a defense deal where Poland will buy three newly developed A26 submarines from Saab.

The contract also includes weapons packages, training and support packages. The order value amounts to approximately SEK 47 billion. Deliveries will be made gradually, with initial delivery in 2031 and final delivery planned for 2038. As part of the deal, Poland will also lease an A17 submarine, HMS Södermanland, from Sweden during a transitional period until 2032, to cover for the only remaining Polish submarine, an old Soviet Kilo submarine, which will eventually be decommissioned.

Sweden also commits to providing support to the New Type Submarine (NTS) programme during the period around 2027–2038, with the possibility of extension. The support includes, among other things, Polish participation in the Swedish testing and trial activities for the A26 submarines HMS Blekinge and HMS Skåne.

“We are very honored that Poland has chosen submarines from Saab to strengthen its defense capabilities and deepen the strategic cooperation between our two countries. The three A26 submarines meet Poland’s current and future defense needs and will play a central role in increasing security in the Baltic Sea region,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab in a press release.

Delays and Cost Increases Have Plagued the Blekinge Class

Despite the happy faces, there are some question marks about Saab’s ability to deliver the submarines on schedule. Sweden laid the groundwork back in 2010 when the then moderate-led government budgeted for two new submarines intended to replace Sweden’s two older A-17 Södermanland-class submarines.

Two new A26s belonging to the Blekinge class were then ordered in March 2015 by Saab Kockums, initially at an estimated cost of SEK 8.6 billion or SEK 4.3 billion each. Delivery was originally planned for 2022 with the first submarine and 2023 for the second.

However, the project turned out to be much more complicated and costly than originally planned. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) made several demands for changes during the development of the advanced submarine, which required new technical solutions. In August 2021, Saab announced that the submarines were delayed and promised a new delivery date for the submarines, now named HMS-Blekinge, in 2028 and 2029.

At the same time, the price tag rose, first to 14 billion in early 2025, and then the final price skyrocketed once again by another 11 billion kronor. What would have cost under nine billion kronor now ends up at 25 billion. A cost increase of 190 percent.

“They are still not outrageously expensive internationally. But you can definitely be critical of the fact that they have completely underestimated what it costs to develop a new submarine model”, said Per Olsson, a researcher at the Swedish Defence Research Institute FOI, to SVT last year.

Part of the cost increase is due to the fact that they have been given a “boost”, so to speak. The launch is planned for 2028, with testing and validation over a few years, for final delivery to the defense “in early 2030”, according to Saab. According to FMV, the timeframe is 2031 – 2035. Major investments have been required at Saab Kockums shipyard in Karlskrona to be able to meet the new timeframes and not least to be able to start building the Polish-ordered submarines.

Poland’s choice to purchase three of the new submarines gives Saab a better starting point for negotiations with other countries that have shown interest in purchasing their own submarines, such as the Netherlands and Portugal.

The massive order also means more jobs in Karlskrona, where the majority of production will take place. For Poland, it will also mean domestic jobs when Saab builds a factory on site for component production.

“The Swedish-Polish submarine cooperation will strengthen competitiveness and economic growth in both countries and create thousands of jobs in both Poland and Sweden”, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

A26. Illustration: Saab

Fact box: Submarine A26 – Blekinge class

The design for A26 is based on previous Swedish submarines, but with improved performance and capabilities as well as some of the world’s most advanced submarine technologies, making it the first “fifth-generation” submarine according to Saab.

The submarine has a displacement of 1,925 tons and a crew of 17-35 men. The depth is secret, but is said to be around 200 meters. A26 will be powered by a diesel-electric engine that, like several previous Swedish submarines, is air-independent (AIP, Air-independent Propulsion), which makes it much quieter, gives it the ability to operate without going to the surface and thus more difficult to detect.

A revolutionary technological solution in the A26 that strengthens its operational capabilities is the FPL (Flexible Payload Lock), which can be described as a torpedo tube with a diameter of 1.5 meters. Divers and unmanned vehicles can be locked in and out here. To be able to handle different types of unmanned vehicles, the A26 also has a larger cargo space for weapons and vehicles compared to existing submarines.

The submarine can also park on the seabed, thanks to a heavily reinforced hull, built to withstand underwater explosions, which, together with its ability to operate almost completely silently and without having to surface for long periods of time, makes the submarine extremely capable in various roles such as a sabotage or diving platform.

Specifications:

Length: 66.1 m

Width: 6.75 m

Displacement surface position: 1,925 tons

Operation: 3 diesel and 3 stirling engines

Crew: 17–26, max 35

Maximum speed: 12 knots at the surface, 20 knots in u-position, and 6 knots in stealth mode.

Scope: 45-day mission

Armament: 4 torpedo tubes and 1 variable tube. 8 heavy torpedoes (Torped 62x) 8 light torpedoes (Torped 47), naval mines, AUV, ROV, MSF