Saab’s A26 design selected for Polish Orka submarine programme

The Polish government has selected Saab’s A26 Blekinge design for its Orka submarine programme, although a contract has yet to be signed.

Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) will now follow the next steps in the procurement process together with relevant Polish authorities.

Heralding “an extraordinarily important day for Poland’s security and for our Navy”, Polish Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz stated on his X social media account on 26 November 2025, “Poland will purchase three submarines from Sweden. This is a decision that builds a new security architecture in the Baltic. The contract for the purchase of submarines is not only about acquiring new equipment for the Polish armed forces, but also new capabilities for our economy and defence industry.

The Orka programme for a new class of Polish diesel-electric submarines (SSKs) was first launched in 2014 to replace the Polish Navy’s single Russian-designed ‘Kilo’-class SSK, which was commissioned in 1986. The programme was revised in 2023, at which point Saab’s A26 design was completing with the Type 212CD from Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) and the Franco-Spanish Scorpène design from Naval Group and Navantia.

Saab’s A26 Blekinge-class SSK, two of which are currently being built for the Swedish Navy, is billed by Saab as “the world’s first fifth-generation submarine”. Diesel-electrically powered, it also features the latest version of Saab’s Stirling air-independent propulsion (AIP), which affords it a very acoustic signature.

As well as featuring four 533 mm torpedo tubes, the A26 also has two 400 mm torpedo tubes. The design can also be built with an added module for vertical-launch cruise missiles, although it is not known whether the Polish boats will feature this.

The A26 also features a Multi-Mission Portal that can launch swimmer delivery vehicles and is compatible with a wide range of Saab’s underwater vehicles. As well as being able to deliver seabed warfare assets, the A26 is also able to hide on the seabed as result of a strengthened hull, which is free of external tanks, as well as the boat’s X-rudder configuration.

“We are honoured to have been selected and look forward to the coming negotiations with the Armaments Agency in Poland,” Saab President and CEO Micael Johansson was quoted as saying in a company press release. “The Swedish offer, featuring submarines tailored for the Baltic Sea, is the right choice for the polish people. It will significantly enhance the operational capability of the Polish Navy and benefit the Polish economy.”