News · Europe · Published 11 July 2026
Poland agrees to buy three Saab A26 submarines from Sweden
The agreement includes a temporary lease of HMS Södermanland and a long-term Swedish training and support programme for Polish crews.
DailySweden Editorial Desk
Updated 01:23 · 3 min read
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Sweden and Poland have completed negotiations on an agreement for Poland to procure three A26 submarines from Saab, while deepening defence cooperation between the two countries.
The agreement also provides an interim solution while the new submarines are being delivered. Poland will lease the Swedish submarine HMS Södermanland until 2032, allowing it to strengthen its underwater capability during the waiting period.
Sweden has committed to support Poland’s New Type Submarine programme from around 2027 to 2038, with an option to extend that cooperation.
The agreement includes a temporary lease of HMS Södermanland and a long-term Swedish training and support programme for Polish crews.
The support will include Polish participation in Swedish test and experiment work involving the A26 submarines HMS Blekinge and HMS Skåne. Training for Polish submarine crews is due to begin in August, earlier than previously planned.
Europe essentials
The Swedish government says training capacity has been expanded to meet Poland’s needs. It describes the programme as the most extensive submarine-related training and support initiative ever undertaken by the Swedish Navy in both scope and duration.
The wider cooperation is connected to a new Baltic Sea Pact launched by Sweden and Poland during government-level talks on 29 June. The pact is built around security and defence policy, military cooperation and defence-industry cooperation.
What happens now
The government says the objective is to strengthen security in the Baltic Sea region as the two countries work together as NATO allies.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the submarine cooperation would support competitiveness, economic growth and thousands of jobs in both countries. Defence Minister Pål Jonson said the A26 had been developed for the shallow water, complex seabed and restricted operating space found in the Baltic Sea.
The announcement does not state the value of the procurement or give delivery dates for the three new submarines. It does, however, set out the interim lease, the start of crew training and the approximate period for Swedish support.
The agreement marks a completed procurement decision by Poland, with implementation now moving into leasing, training, testing and the longer-term construction and delivery programme.
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