First known equipment contract for Poland's A26 submarines. Jeumont Electric to supply propulsion for the Orka

Three complete low-signature propulsion systems

Jeumont Electric announced the contract on 16 October. The company will deliver the main electric propulsion systems for three boats, designed for high reliability and low machinery noise, which translates directly into submarine stealth. Neither the value of the contract nor the delivery schedule was disclosed.

- The continuation of our partnership with Saab as part of a sovereign programme of the scale of Orka demonstrates the value of our technological solutions - Jeumont Electric stated.

In a diesel-electric submarine the electric motor is the only source of propulsion when submerged. It is fed by batteries charged by diesel generators on the surface or at snorkel depth, and in the A26 also by the quiet Stirling air-independent propulsion (AIP) system, which allows the boat to stay submerged for many days. The main motor therefore determines speed, endurance and how hard the submarine is to detect by sonar.

The same propulsion as Sweden's Blekinge class

Jeumont Electric already works with Saab on the A26 Blekinge-class submarines for the Royal Swedish Navy, to which it also supplies electric propulsion systems. The Polish A26 PL will thus receive a solution proven on the Swedish boats rather than a design developed from scratch. For a navy rebuilding its submarine capability almost from zero, a common technical base with Sweden will ease training, logistics and future overhauls.

The French manufacturer specialises in permanent magnet synchronous machines for submarines, frigates and other vessels where compactness and quiet running are paramount. Its portfolio covers onboard power generation, power distribution, main propulsion systems and auxiliary motors.

From Collins to Barracuda: 30 years in submarines

Jeumont Electric's links with Swedish submarine design go back to the 1990s. Australia's Kockums-designed Collins-class boats, the first of which was commissioned in 1996, received a 5.4 MW Jeumont main motor driving a single shaft. The company still supplies the Collins fleet with main propulsion and power generation systems, and Australia's ASC has signed a long-term collaboration agreement with it for the sustainment of the class.

The reference list extends well beyond Sweden and Australia. Between 2008 and 2012 Jeumont supplied main and auxiliary generators for France's Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarines, and its electric motors run in Italy's FREMM frigates with CODLAG propulsion. The company is also to deliver integrated systems for France's future new-generation aircraft carrier, PA-NG. In Australia's Attack-class programme, cancelled in 2021, Jeumont had been selected to design the main electric propulsion.

A French supplier owned by Naval Group

The history of the Jeumont works in northern France dates back to 1898. The company has recently come under the ownership of Framatome and Naval Group, two French groups for which it has long been a strategic supplier. Naval Group is at the same time a direct competitor of Saab on the global submarine market, which illustrates how dense the web of relationships in European naval shipbuilding has become: the same motor maker serves rival shipyards.

The supplier's financial health is worth watching. According to Defence Finance Monitor, which analyses the accounts of defence companies, Jeumont Electric reported revenue of EUR 103.7 million in 2025, a net loss of EUR 18.1 million and negative equity. The service notes that submarine propulsion must not only be delivered but supported for decades, and asks to what extent the company's owners guarantee that continuity. For the Polish customer, it means that the in-service support provisions of the contract with Saab will matter throughout the boats' service lives.

Orka: three boats, a weapons package and crew training

On 29 June 2026 Poland's Armament Agency signed a contract with Saab for three A26 submarines for the Polish Navy, worth about SEK 47 billion. The order also covers a weapons package, crew training and in-service support. The Orka programme had for years been one of the most important and longest-awaited modernisation projects of the Polish fleet, and its award opened the way to rebuilding submarine capability after the retirement of the Kobben-class boats.

The propulsion contract shows that the programme has entered its execution phase, with Saab assembling the supply chain for the Polish boats. Further contracts for key systems, from batteries and Stirling engines to sonars and combat systems, will be a good measure of progress. They will also indicate how far Polish companies take part in equipping the Polish A26.