3 European producers bid for Poland sub deal

WARSAW, Poland — Poland’s Ministry of Defence has obtained three offers to acquire new submarines for the country’s Navy as the service seeks three new vessels to replace outdated Kobben-class subs.

France’s Naval Group is offering its Scorpene-class subs armed with MBDA’s naval cruise missiles; Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems is bidding with its 212CD-class subs; and Swedish, Saab-owned company Kockum is offering its A26-class subs, the ministry said in a statement.

“These vessels are to constitute the essential combat and flagship element of the Polish Navy, and, at the same time, as they will be fitted with cruise missiles, they will be a key element of the state’s and alliance’s military deterrence,” the ministry said.

The French offer is the only one comprising cruise missiles, which could put Naval Group in a preferential position to secure the deal, local observers say.

Deliveries of the new subs are scheduled for the years 2024 to 2026. In addition to the minesweepers and one rescue vessel, the contract is estimated to be worth some 10 billion zloty (U.S. $2.9 billion), according to data from the ministry.

Last August, the Polish ministry decided to overhaul two of the Kobbens. One vessel will be decommissioned in 2018 and the other in 2020.

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