Navantia in the final game of Orka

The government is due to decide tomorrow to identify the preferred bidder of the Ork program, which will be announced on Friday at Navy Day. Among the main candidates is the Spanish Navantia with the proposal of submarines of type S-80.

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The upcoming choice will determine the direction of development of the key capabilities of the Polish Navy, so it is worth a look at the last time the offer of the Spanish company Navantia responds to Polish operational and industrial needs — and the consequences of the government's announcement on Friday.

Spanish proposal – S-80 in configuration for Poland

Navantia seeks participation in Orka program, offering Poland S-80 submarines, i.e. the latest generation of conventional units built for Armada Española. The project is created in cooperation with Babcock International and Lockheed Martin, which strengthens the credibility of the Spanish proposal for the integration of combat systems and long-term operational support.

The S-80 type ship is presented as a wide spectrum of applications platform capable of carrying out activities against submarines and submarines and performing precise land strikes. The hull was designed for operations requiring secrecy, recognition and data collection in the demanding hydrological environment of the Baltic, where the variability of salinity, water temperature and small depths (the average depth of the Baltic is 50 m) puts high demands on control and propulsion systems.

In talks with Navantii representatives, it was stressed that the S-80 battle potential would be developed — the unit is to be able to use NSM-class guided missiles, which will significantly increase its capability to influence the water targets. Hispanics indicate that even a single ship of this type can force the opponent to continue to engage with the developed forces of the ZOP, as effective detection of such a unit requires long-term and costly exploration efforts.

Atut Navantii – the presence of partners known to Poland

One of the arguments strengthening Navantia's proposal remains the base of its key partners, who have been participating in Polish modernisation programmes for years. Babcock International is responsible for the frigate's frivolous programme Miecznik programme, which are built in the PGZ of the Naval Shipyard, which is now the most important investment in the Maritime Force of our country, while Lockheed Martin manufactures S-70i Black Hawk helicopters in the country and carries out tasks related to the Vistula system.

Their established presence on the Polish market and extensive technical infrastructure can facilitate the implementation of S-80 submarines, while providing stable operational support for future Orka units.

Importance to domestic industry

Navantia declares its readiness to involve Polish companies in the process of building and later servicing submarines. In practice, this would mean the real participation of the national industry in the supply chain, the development of competences related to the design and operation of such units and the possibility of gradually implementing modern technologies used in on-board systems.

The Spanish side emphasizes that the continued presence of Polish entities in the program is to be the foundation of the long-term sustainability of future ships of the Polish Navy, as it is the national service facilities responsible for the stability of operation for decades of service.

Government decision - Start of the road

The name of the tenderer during the Navy holiday will only be the beginning of the next stage of the Orka programme. The government decision will launch a process that always extends over the years: from contract negotiations, through technology transfer arrangements to the definition of the scope of the participation of national establishments and the refinement of operational requirements for the final configuration of the ship.

As the study recalls, "Dad or Mom? – Supplement"Kmdr Tomasz Witkiewicz, the construction of the unit of this class, along with crew training and system integration, is an undertaking spread out for at least a decade, which is why the choice of the preferred bidder opens a long, multi-stage path leading to reconstruction of submarine capabilities of the Polish Navy.

Regardless of the choice of the bidder, Orka remains one of the most crucial modernization programs of the Polish Navy. Submarine ships are intended to provide a deterrent basis on the Baltic and their role has been extensively described in analyses of the importance of this class of weapons for MW of the Republic of Poland – from combating enemy units to the ability to covert impact actions.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz