Poland's ORKA program: advancing Naval capabilities with stealth submarine procurement.

According to information published by TVP World on May 31, 2023, Poland's Defense Minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, has revealed the nation's impending plans for the procurement of submarines, through the ORKA program.
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Polish Navy's Kilo-class submarine ORP Orzel. (Picture source: Polish Armed Forces)

However, to appreciate the full significance of this development, one must consider the historic backbone of the Polish submarine fleet - the ORP Orzeł (291).

About the submarine

The ORP Orzeł (291) is a notable submarine serving in the Polish Navy and represents the 'Project 877E' or the Kilo-class category of submarines. It is the third submarine to have been christened with the name Orzeł, which translates to 'Eagle' in Polish.

This substantial vessel was constructed at the Shipyard Krasnoe Sormovo in Gorky and was officially commissioned on April 29, 1986, at Riga. She was subsequently transferred to Gdynia on June 13 of the same year, where it was officially named on June 21.

The submarine was then assigned to the 3rd Flotilla based in Gdynia. Today, the ORP Orzeł holds the distinction of being the oldest Kilo-class submarine still in active service.

The ORP Orzeł has impressive specifications for a Kilo-class submarine. She has a displacement of 2,460 tons when surfaced and 3,180 tons when submerged.

The submarine spans 72.6 meters (238 feet 2 inches) in length and has a beam, or width, of 12.8 meters (42 feet 0 inches). Her draught, or the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull, is 14.5 meters (47 feet 7 inches).

In terms of speed, the ORP Orzeł is capable of reaching 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) when surfaced and 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph) when submerged. It has a crew capacity of 60 personnel.

The ORP Orzeł is armed with 6 x 533 mm (21.0 in) torpedo tubes for guided electric TEST-71 torpedoes and guided 53-65K oxygen-propelled torpedoes. She also has the capability to deploy 32 naval mines, making it a formidable presence in any maritime operation.