Poland signs ~$4.8 billion deal for three Saab A26 submarines. Poland signed a contract with Sweden's Saab for three A26 (Blekinge-class) submarines under its Orka program, valued at about $4.8 billion. The package includes weapons, training, and long-term support, with deliveries running through 2038. To bridge the gap, Poland will lease Sweden's modernized HMS Södermanland from around 2027 until its new boats arrive. The deal replaces Poland's critically weak submarine fleet — currently just the aging Soviet-era ORP Orzeł from 1985 — and strengthens NATO's eastern flank in the Baltic against Russia. The A26 is a stealthy diesel-electric submarine with air-independent propulsion, built for the shallow, complex waters of the Baltic Sea. Sweden won the long-running competition in late 2025, beating bids from France, Germany, Italy, and South Korea.