Given the performance of the current government—especially the Ministry of National Defense—it comes as no surprise that Poland will not be signing a contract for new submarines this year. “Anyone who still believes in the declarations of Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and his deputy Paweł Bejda does so at their own risk,” says PiS MP Piotr Kaleta, a member of the Sejm’s National Defense Committee, in a comment for Niezależna.pl, responding to the latest media reports on the “Orka” operational program.
Despite earlier government assurances, there is no chance that Poland will finalize a submarine purchase contract before the end of the year. According to Rzeczpospolita, not only is the signing of an agreement out of reach, but even selecting the country from which the submarines are to be acquired remains uncertain.
It’s worth recalling that in late November last year, during Navy Day celebrations, Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz declared: “We will do everything to sign a contract for modern submarines next year. The ‘Orka’ program is a matter of honor for us.”
He repeated a similar promise in April during an interview with Polsat News:
“I would like it to happen this year. I believe this is a crucial year for the Navy.”
And once again in May, during a broadcast on Radio Zet with journalist Bogdan Rymanowski, the minister stated:
“A decision on the new submarines will be made this year.”
In response to the recent reports regarding the Orka program, the Armament Agency issued a statement:
“The Armament Agency informs that the submarine acquisition process within the Orka program is aligned with ongoing intergovernmental consultations. Upon their conclusion, we will proceed to the contracting phase,” the agency wrote on platform X.
Deputy Minister of Defense Paweł Bejda also commented:
“I want to stress that the Orka program is ongoing and will continue. We are doing everything we can to ensure the submarine procurement contract is signed this year.”
“You kind of knew, but still had hope”
Opposition politicians remain skeptical of the government’s reassurances.
“Looking at this government’s track record, especially the Ministry of National Defense, it’s hardly surprising that the submarine contract won’t be signed this year. Anyone who still trusts the promises made by Kosiniak-Kamysz and Bejda does so at their own risk,” says Piotr Kaleta of PiS.
“If people like Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Paweł Bejda are in charge of our national defense and armament programs, then we shouldn’t expect much. This government is backing away from procuring equipment we desperately need,” he adds.
According to Bartosz Kownacki, former deputy defense minister, “Without submarines, we are losing critical operational capabilities in the Baltic Sea.”
“This program must be brought to a conclusion. We can debate its form and scope, but it must be implemented,” he says.
“For months, the Defense Minister repeatedly insisted that a contract would be signed this year. Now it turns out it won’t,” Kownacki concludes.