Poland and Sweden sign agreement for Saab A26 submarines, announce Baltic Sea Pact

Concept image of Poland's future Orka (A26)-class submarine. (Saab)

Poland and Sweden have signed an agreement to acquire three Saab A26 submarines, it was announced on Monday 29 June 2026. On the same day, the two countries also announced plans to deepen their bilateral security and defence cooperation in the Baltic Sea, including through a new initiative referred to as the ‘Baltic Sea Pact'.

Project Orka

On 29 June Saab announced the signing of a contract with the Polish State Treasury Armaments Agency for the production and delivery of three A26 submarines. The contract also includes a weapons package, and a training and support package. Saab said that the order value is approximately SEK47 billion (USD4.8 billion). Final deliveries of the boats are expected in 2038.

An agreement between Poland and Sweden for the submarines was also signed between the countries' respective Defence Ministers on the same day. The agreement and contract follow the selection of Sweden as the preferred partner for the Polish Project Orka, also referred to as OPNT (Okręt Podwodny Nowego Typu - New Submarine Type) in November 2025.

In an announcement on 29 June, the Swedish Ministry of Defence said that “Sweden also commits to providing support for the New Type Submarine (NTS) programme during the period approximately 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 ”, referring to the two future Blekinge-class submarines currently in-build for the Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN).

As part of the agreement between Poland and Sweden, Poland will also lease the RSwN submarine HMS Södermanland