Baltic in focus: naval highlight of Polish Armed Forces Day, submarine acquisition on the horizon?

August 15, 2025, marked a historic edition of Polish Armed Forces Day, with a naval parade emerging as one of the main highlights of the celebrations. Conducted on the waters of the Baltic Sea, the parade showcased the strength, capabilities, and readiness of the Polish Navy, while signaling that the Baltic is once again a central area of Poland’s defense focus.

15 august 2025 | 20:36 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

fot. Kamil Kusier / Gazeta Morska

Both the minister of national defense and deputy prime minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, as well as president Karol Nawrocki, emphasized the strategic importance of the region for national and NATO security.

Demonstrating capability and readiness

The naval parade, synchronized with the main Warsaw parade, was more than a ceremonial display. It demonstrated the Polish Navy’s full operational readiness and its role within integrated regional deterrence strategies.

Precision maneuvers, coordinated formations, and ceremonial flag displays were more than optics—they constituted a strategic signal to allies and potential adversaries alike, underlining Poland’s evolving maritime posture.

Program “Orka”: political and operational priority

The spotlight of official speeches fell on Program “Orka”, the initiative to acquire new submarines for the Polish Navy. Both president Nawrocki and minister Kosiniak-Kamysz confirmed that a procurement decision would be finalized within 2025.

President Nawrocki stressed that:

- The Baltic Sea has effectively become an internal sea of the NATO Alliance. We must implement Program Orka. Polish submarines are long-awaited by generations of sailors, and this is a direction we must pursue and will pursue.

Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz reinforced the commitment:

- This year we intend to finalize the contract for which generations of sailors have been waiting. Program Orka must and will be realized.

The initiative also underscores the importance of investments in Polish shipyards and naval education institutions, including the Naval Academy in Gdynia, to support both fleet modernization and broader maritime capabilities.

Why submarines matter

From a security and NATO strategy perspective, submarines remain among the most flexible and difficult-to-detect platforms in modern naval warfare. Their roles include:

strategic deterrence
reconnaissance and intelligence gathering
asymmetric strike capabilities
protection of sea lines of communication and ports

In the shallow, sensor-dense environment of the Baltic, properly equipped submarines can significantly enhance defensive potential, particularly in blockade, counter-diversion, and response to provocative actions in the region.

Symbolic and strategic significance

This year’s Armed Forces Day made it clear that the Polish Navy is no longer in the background of national defense planning. The public commitment to Program Orka, combined with the naval parade, sends a clear message: the Baltic Sea is a strategic theatre, and Poland is prepared to fully leverage its maritime potential.