The United Kingdom has joined the race for a Polish government submarine project worth eight trillion won, or around five-point-five billion U.S. dollars, having teamed up with Sweden against South Korea and four other countries. 

Citing two sources familiar with the matter on Friday, Reuters said U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson signed a letter of support that the Swedish defense group Saab included in its final offer, submitted in late October.

In their joint letter, the two leaders said they were confident that the Swedish proposal would boost security in the Baltic Sea.

Reuters called Starmer’s lobbying “an example of political jockeying around Europe for a slice of lucrative defense contracts,” predicting that the British defense group Babcock might take part in the project if Saab wins.

With the next-generation submarine project, dubbed “Orka,” the Polish government is seeking to modernize its navy and to purchase three submarines in the three-thousand-ton class, with a final decision expected as early as a few weeks from now.

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean has made an offer, as have defense manufacturers from Italy, Spain, France and Germany.