Polish Ministry of Defence on: Orka: We Treat All Proposals Equally
Photo. Defence24.pl
In July, Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda will visit France and Spain. The purpose of these visits is to become acquainted with the offerings of the local shipbuilding industries in the context of the “Orka” programme.
The Ministry of Defence is getting ever closer to selecting the future supplier of a submarine for the Polish Navy. Asked about this issue by Defence24.pl, Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda said at a press conference on the K2PL programme that this month the Ministry will review the latest proposals submitted to Poland (from Spain and France) and that a binding decision will only be made after those presentations.
“No Favourite Bid”
According to the Minister, it is too early to point to a clear favourite in the competition, which includes contenders such as the Republic of Korea’s Hanwha Ocean; the French shipbuilding group Naval Group; Sweden’s Saab; Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS); Italy’s Fincantieri; and the Spanish shipyard Navantia.
“We treat all proposals with equal seriousness,” Paweł Bejda told us, emphasizing that it is important to him that the contract Poland signs be a government to government agreement.
Awaiting “Orka”
The year 2025 has repeatedly been announced as the year the MoD will choose a specific submarine offer for the “Orka” programme. In January, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak Kamysz said, “For over 30 years Polish sailors have been waiting for new submarines. I am determined that our government will select a concrete offer this year…”—he stated during a visit to Sweden and talks with the Swedish Minister of Defence.
In February, Minister Bejda and his delegation were present in Italy, visiting the Bergamo facilities (where small MIDGET class submarines are produced) and the Fincantieri shipyard in La Spezia, where 212NFS type submarines are built. In March, Polish representatives visited Germany. In Kiel, home to the shipyard that builds 212CD type submarines, an intergovernmental meeting took place. In recent days, further information has emerged regarding submarines for the Polish Navy. This follows representatives of South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean presenting Polish media on Friday, 27th June, with an offer for the KSS III submarine and a special financing scheme for this investment.