Saab and Poland's Naval Shipyard S.A. plan to cooperate in offering naval products and services to Poland's Ministry of National Defense.

The cooperation comes through a letter of intent between the two companies and announced by Saab on Friday.

"Establishing strong local partnerships is a cornerstone of our business approach," said Jason Howard, Saab's Country Manager Poland. "We welcome this agreement and believe it is a milestone in our efforts to offer support to the Polish Orka future submarine program.

"For Saab, cooperation with local partners ensures that the delivery of our solutions produces benefits for our clients and, importantly, that the transfer of know-how involves local industry."

The Polish Navy's Orka program is for construction of three submarines and is part of a larger naval modernization effort.

Naval Shipyard S.A., located on Poland's Baltic coast, is involved in the production of a Polish Navy patrol vessel and has performed a number of shipbuilding projects for a number of international clients.

"The Polish Navy is engaged in a serious modernization effort, which includes the construction of several new classes of ships, and plans for the country to obtain three submarines," Howard said. "Saab's surface and underwater solutions can cater to these needs."