Poland to buy submarines with cruise missiles

Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak has said that the country will launch a submarine procurement programme in 2023.

The Polish new generation submarines are to feature long endurance as well as the capability to use cruise missiles to attack land targets, Defence 24 reports.

In all likelihood, they will have to be equipped with the Air-Independent Propulsion.

As Mariusz Błaszczak has admitted, it may be a challenge for Poland to build the sustainment and support model for the submarines. Additionally, Poland will seek an offset agreement as part of it. Details regarding the number and specified parameters of the submarines will be revealed later.

According to Minister, Błaszczak, Polish authorities will invite both potential contractors from Europe and from outside Europe to the procurement process. Minister Błaszczak mentioned that Poland observed the Australian model of the tender for submarines.

Poland has a long history of seeking for new submarines. After Poland joined NATO, Poland fielded four ex-Norwegian type 207 Kobben-class submarines, which were commissioned between 2002-2004 and joined a single Polish Kilo Class Submarine (ORP Orzeł) inherited after the Warsaw Pact times. The Kobbens were gradually withdrawn until 2021. Now, only Orzeł is in service, and the ageing submarine has limited capabilities.

During the last decade, Poland had been seeking up to three submarines during the Orka project, but those until recently did not come into effect. It seems, however, that with an increased focus on defence in Poland being the result of Russian full-scale aggression against Ukraine since 2022, the project will eventually be accelerated so that Poland will rebuild and expand its capabilities.