The naval construction company of South Korea Hanwha Ocean has presented an “ambitious” offer to supply Poland its latest generation submarines KSS-III Batch 2 as part of the Orka Program of the Polish Navy. This maneuver, as indicated by the medium “could transform naval power into the Baltic Sea.”
The proposal, announced in early April 2025, includes the delivery of three advanced diesel-electric submarines, in addition to a comprehensive maintenance, repair and review package, investments in infrastructure of Polish shipyards and a leased ship for the training of the crew.
The first submarine could be delivered within a period of six years after the signing of the contract, according to the specialized medium, which indicates that the three would enter into service within eight and a half years, according to Hanwha representatives. “This advance indicates Poland’s intention to modernize its outdated fleet and reinforce its strategic position in a region marked by the growing tensions with Russia,” he remarks.
The KSS-III Batch 2 is also known as Dosan Ahn Changho class and “represents the South Korean submarine technology summit,” according to the same medium. This explains that it has been designed and built by Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries as a key piece in the modernization efforts of the Navy of the Republic of Korea.
“With a surface displacement of approximately 3,600 tons and a submerged displacement of around 4,000 tons, the KSS-III measures 89.3 meters in length and 9.6 meters of sleeve, which makes it larger than many submarines that operate in the Baltic but agile enough for the shallow waters of the region,” he says.
Thus, he points out that “the technical advantages of the KSS-III translate into important strategic benefits for Poland. The AIP system and lithium-ion batteries allow prolonged and stealthy patrols, allowing polish submarines to monitor Russian naval movements in the Baltic without being detected.”
In addition, VLS cells provide a deterrent capacity, which allows us to attack the Russian military infrastructure, such as the strongly fortified enclave of Kaliningrad, or naval assets from a safe distance. “This marks a change for Poland: from a naval posture mainly defensive to a with power projection capacity.”
