Swedish defence and security company Saab has signed two additional collaboration agreements with Polish defence industry companies, as part of the process of delivering Poland’s next-generation submarines and exploring broader naval capability cooperation options.
In a 12 March statement, Saab announced it had signed these agreements with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa (PGZ) and WB Group. The statement noted that these agreements will build upon those Saab originally established with the two Polish companies in September 2025.
In November 2025, Poland announced that Saab had been chosen as the preferred supplier for delivering three new submarines under the country’s Orka submarine programme.
According to Saab, the latest agreement with PGZ “sets out the intention for collaboration relating to in-country submarine maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities” for the Orka programme; the latest WB Group agreement includes the intention to collaborate on autonomous naval systems and unmanned aerial systems.
“By sharing expertise and scaling up innovation together, we can ensure the development of advanced solutions and capabilities that will contribute to security and stability in Europe and the Baltic Sea region,” Micael Johansson, Saab President and CEO, said in the statement.
Poland’s new boats will be based on the Saab Kockums A26 air-independent propulsion (AIP) diesel-electric submarine (SSK) design, which is already in use for the Royal Swedish Navy’s two Blekinge-class vessels (scheduled for delivery in 2031 and 2033). The A26 is designed to provide capabilities and operational performance tailored to the naval warfare needs of the Baltic Sea region.
Saab was chosen for the Orka programme from a shortlist of six suppliers. The other five were Fincantieri (Italy), Hanwha Ocean (South Korea), Naval Group (France), Navantia (Spain), and TKMS (Germany). Sweden’s proposal included options for broader co-operation on naval and defence systems, within the development of a strategic relationship between the two countries.
by Dr. Lee Willett
