Saab to Build A26 Submarines for Poland

The Swedish government's offer of Saab’s A26 submarines to Poland has been selected by Poland to replace the current Kilo-class submarine, the company announced Wednesday.

At this point, Saab has not signed any contract nor received any order.

The proposal includes cooperation with the Polish industry and knowledge transfer, securing a strategic partnership between Poland and Sweden.

Saab and the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) will now follow the next steps in the procurement process together with Polish authorities.

Despite Saab's submarine selection by Poland, South Korea is willing to offer Warsaw its retired 1,200-ton ROKS Jang Bogo submarine free of charge to sweeten the deal to sell its own submarines.

The Swedish A26 submarine is a 66.1-meter-long, 1,925-tonne surfaced displacement submarine featuring a diesel-electric and Stirling Air-Independent Propulsion (AIP) system, an X-rudder configuration for high maneuverability, and a crew of 17-35. Its key features include a modular payload system, a Multi-Mission Portal for deploying vehicles and special forces, and a shock-resistant hull. The A26 also has a submerged endurance of up to 45 days, with about 18 of those on AIP, and a top submerged speed of roughly 20 km/h.