Deputy Minister Bejda in Tulon: French offer in ORKA programme

16 July, Deputy Minister of National Defence Paweł Bejda paid a visit to Tulon, where he took note of a proposal from the French shipbuilding industry to acquire new submarines under the ORKA programme The offer was presented by Naval Group.

French offer and strategic talks

During the meeting with Emmanuel Chiva, Director-General of the French Armed Forces Agency DGA, a letter of intent was also signed on cooperation on land maneuvering missiles.

During his stay at the French Marine nationale base, Minister Bejda had the opportunity to personally look at modern submarines in terms of technical and operational requirements which are taken into account by the Polish side. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the possible transfer of technology and the future involvement of the Polish arms industry.

Read more: ORKA programme: consultations completed, submarines still missing

Deputy Minister Bejda stressed that the decisions on the acquisition of submarines would have significant implications for national security and must therefore be preceded by a thorough analysis of all available offers.

Naval Group in the game

The French Naval Group, one of the main participants of the ORKA program, presents comprehensive solutions covering the design of the submarine and a proposal for cooperation with the Polish industry. The offer currently under assessment is expected to meet high operational requirements, including the possibility of integrating long-range maneuvering missiles, which is also reflected in the signed letter of intent.

Towards a decision: last simple market consultation

The visit to Tulon is part of a broad process of preliminary market consultations conducted by the Armed Forces Agency. As indicated, this stage is coming to an end – by the end of this month the Polish delegation will visit all the main bidders.

Read also: Ork without rudder. Where are the guarantees for billions of PLN?

Before MON still planned Visit to the Spanish Navantii. This is where, when the visit cycle is closed, the picture of the offer of all potential partners will be completed. It is difficult today to determine the direction of the decision, but the fact that the Armed Forces Agency has closed the stage of initial market consultations may mean that in the coming months we will learn the real preferences of our decision-makers.

Although none of the visits yet prejudge the outcome, they are undoubtedly approaching the selection of a bidder for one of the most important modernization programs of the Polish Navy. It is worth asking: will industrial partnership and real technology transfer follow political commitment?

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz/MON