Defence Policy
Deputy Minister of National Defense in Italy. Small Submarines At Stake
Photo. Polish MoD
The visit of Deputy Minister of Defence Paweł Bejda in Italy is underway. The goal is to intensify Polish–Italian cooperation in the defence sector as well as to support Polish defence companies in the Italian market.
On Monday, February 17, the visit of the Polish delegation in Italy commenced. Discussions include, among other things, the potential purchase of small submarines.
Visit in Bergamo
The Ministry of National Defense representative was present in Bergamo at the facilities of the Italian company M23 S.R.L., which specializes in the production of small submarines of the C series, MIDGET class. The company collaborates in this area with the shipbuilding conglomerate Giunio Santi Engineering (GSE Trieste).
„During the visit to the M23 S.R.L. facilities, Deputy Minister Bejda had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the production process of these vessels and to discuss potential possibilities for their operational use, as well as areas for possible cooperation between the Polish and Italian defence industries,” reads the statement published on the Ministry of Defence’s website.
What Day Two May Bring?
The second day of the Ministry of National Defence delegation’s stay in Italy included a visit to the Muggiano shipyard, owned by Fincantieri, near the city of La Spezia. At that facility, all Todaro-type submarines in service with the Marina Militare were built – the licensed variant of the German Type 212A. It is also where the modernized Type 212 NFS submarines, ordered by Italy, are being built.
Deputy Minister Bejda’s visit to Italy is another such trip in recent times. At the end of January, the deputy head of the defense ministry was in Sweden, where one of the topics discussed was the potential acquisition of new vessels for the Polish Navy under the Orka programme.