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WARSAW, Poland \u2014 U.K. company Babcock International, Sweden\u2019s Saab and Italian Fincantieri have signed deals to boost cooperation with Polish state-run defense group PGZ.<\/p>\n
The developments come as Poland\u2019s Ministry of National Defence is accelerating efforts to select new submarines<\/u><\/a> that will expand its capacities in the Baltic Sea\u2019s shallow waters, a program all three companies have shown interest in.<\/p>\n The European players inked cooperation agreements with PGZ on the first day of this year\u2019s MSPO defense industry show in Kielce, Poland, which runs Sept. 2-5.<\/p>\n W\u0142adys\u0142aw Kosiniak-Kamysz, Poland\u2019s deputy prime minister and defense minister, has said Warsaw plans to order between three and four new submarines for the naval forces by the end of 2025.<\/p>\n The planned procurement, which is to be implemented under the Orka (Orca) program, is urgent as the Navy relies on a single outdated Soviet-designed submarine, the Kilo-class ORP Orzel.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, PGZ\u2019s central role in the Polish defense industry makes it an attractive partner for foreign players competing for what could be the largest naval program in Poland\u2019s history.<\/p>\n Pierroberto Folgiero, the CEO and managing director of Fincantieri, said his company aims to contribute to Poland\u2019s \u201cambitious naval modernization plans.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith a legacy of more than 180 submarines built and a proven track record in advanced naval platforms, we bring unparalleled expertise to support the Orka program and to develop a long-term industrial cooperation with PGZ and the national defense industry,\u201d according to Folgiero.<\/p>\n Babcock and PGZ already cooperate on a major naval project, and the U.K. group hopes to expand it to Orka. Under the Miecznik (Swordfish) program, PGZ is leading a consortium to build three frigates based on the design of Babcock\u2019s Arrowhead 140 vessel. Deliveries of the vessels to the country\u2019s Navy are scheduled for the years 2026 to 2032.<\/p>\n \u201cThe UK and Poland has longstanding close ties, and this growing industrial partnership with PGZ SA will deepen our relationship and accelerate our support for the Polish armed forces, alongside our joint global ambitions across air and marine domains,\u201d said David Lockwood, the CEO of Babcock. \u201cThe Miecznik program is a great example of the benefits our relationship is already delivering.\u201d<\/p>\n Micael Johansson, the president and CEO of Saab, said in a statement there \u201cis great potential for expanding the existing partnership between our nations to ensure security and stability in Europe, including the Baltic Sea region.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweden\u2019s efforts were bolstered on Sept. 2 by the signing of a Polish-Swedish defense cooperation agreement following an official meeting between Kosiniak-Kamysz and his counterpart, P\u00e5l Jonson, at the MSPO show.<\/p>\n Poland\u2019s centrist government is under increasing political pressure to carry out the submarine purchase. On Aug. 15, Polish President Karol Nawrocki, who represents the opposition party, said during the Armed Forces Day parade in Warsaw \u201cwe must implement the Orka program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis is because, as sailors have told me, we need to have Polish submarines, and sailors have waited for them for years, for decades. This is the direction in which we must move forward,\u201d Nawrocki said.<\/p>\n Numerous countries are competing to secure the potential order from Poland. In 2023, Warsaw announced 11 entities took part in a market consultation<\/u><\/a>. Known competitors include Babcock, Fincantieri and Saab, as well as France\u2019s Naval Group<\/u><\/a>, German ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Spain\u2019s Navantia, South Korea\u2019s Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai.<\/p>\n In May 2025, a spokesperson for the Polish ministry told Defense News its experts assigned the highest scores to the offers placed by Germany, Italy and Sweden. However, while these three offers received the highest scores from the Polish Armaments Agency, the military\u2019s procurement arm, the remaining submarine offers have not been discarded amid ongoing talks with foreign governments, according to the spokesperson.<\/p>\n In the aftermath of Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Poland has established itself as one of the alliance\u2019s top spenders<\/u><\/a>. For 2025, Warsaw plans to allocate a total of PLN 186.6 billion ($51 billion) to its armed forces. This would enable the nation\u2019s military expenditure to reach an estimated 4.7% of its gross domestic product this year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n