Construction has begun on the first of three submarines Poland has ordered from Sweden, Deputy Defence Minister Cezary Tomczyk has confirmed. The announcement came as the minister visited the Karlskrona shipyard on Thursday, where the vessel’s hull is being fabricated from a patented metal alloy.
According to Bankier.pl, which reported the news, Tomczyk inspected progress on the hull and confirmed that preparations for additional components are already under way. The submarines represent a significant upgrade for Poland’s naval capabilities and mark a new chapter in Polish-Swedish defence cooperation.
The deputy minister also revealed that a group of Polish sailors began specialist training in Sweden on 1 October, following a preparatory course that started in mid-August. The training is taking place on a gap-filler submarine that Sweden is providing to the Polish navy until the new vessels are completed.
Polish crews praised by Swedish trainers
During his visit to Karlskrona, Tomczyk met with the Polish mariners undergoing the 18-month training programme. He praised their determination and noted that they have been allowed to bring their families to Sweden, a provision he described as essential to the success of the lengthy course.
“Without them, we wouldn’t have anyone to train for service on the new units,” Tomczyk said, according to the report. He emphasised that these experienced sailors had maintained Poland’s submarine operational capability despite numerous challenges in recent years.
The deputy minister said Swedish instructors have given the Polish crews high marks, describing them as excellent personnel who handle all difficulties with skill.
Broader defence partnership with Sweden
The submarine order is part of a wider defence and industrial partnership between Warsaw and Stockholm. Tomczyk noted that Sweden is investing €100 million in Poland on joint innovation projects and Polish defence funds, while the Swedish armed forces are also placing orders with Polish defence manufacturers.
Asked whether the collaboration would continue regardless of the outcome of Sweden’s elections on 13 September, Tomczyk said the partnership serves the interests of both countries and would carry on no matter who takes power. “The decision to purchase three Swedish submarines opened a completely new chapter in our relations. And this is just the beginning,” he said.
Tomczyk was in Stockholm to attend a Polish-Swedish cybersecurity conference titled “Sharing Cyber”, held at the Polish embassy. He highlighted that Poland has made significant progress in the field and stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation, given what he described as insufficient coordination within NATO on cyber matters.
Poland records thousands of cyberattacks and around 7,000 serious incidents each year, making the exchange of experience, joint exercises and threat identification critical, Tomczyk told the conference. The event drew dozens of representatives from the armed forces, academia and the IT sector from both countries.
What this means for Poles in Poland
The construction of Poland’s first modern submarine in decades strengthens the country’s ability to defend its Baltic coastline and contributes to regional security alongside NATO allies. For Polish taxpayers, the investment represents a long-term commitment to rebuilding the navy’s underwater capabilities, which had been allowed to deteriorate in previous years.
The training of Polish sailors in Sweden, with provisions for families to accompany personnel, shows that the armed forces are taking retention and welfare seriously as they rebuild specialist capabilities. The broader defence partnership with Sweden, including technology transfer and joint industrial projects worth €100 million, is expected to create skilled jobs in Poland’s growing defence sector.
Citizens can expect the first of the three submarines to enter service once construction and sea trials are complete, though no delivery date has been publicly confirmed. The gap-filler vessel provided by Sweden will maintain operational capacity in the meantime.
