Contract negotiations have been ongoing since 2017, when Germany was chosen as a strategic partner for Norway’s new submarines acquisition program. The submarines will be delivered by Thyssenkrupp in Germany, with partner of choice Norway’s Kongsberg Gruppen.
Norway announced back in February 2017, following an evaluation and competitive period, to procure ‘identical submarines’ alongside Germany, in a German-Norwegian common purchase which includes lifetime management.
A brief history
Norway were in discussions with both France and Germany in recent years towards the active acquisition of new submarines to replace the ageing UTA class fleet. One of the main goals for the Norwegian Navy was to partner up with an ally in Western Europe, so that they could procure and maintain a fleet with common technology and maintenance, as well share resources and expertise between the partner nations domestic industry.
In 2017, Norway announced they would partner with Germany, citing ‘broad and long-term Navy-to-Navy cooperation’
Partnership technology
The new submarines will be built on existing designs by Thyssenkrupp Marine. The Norway MOD mentioned that the ‘existing design’ would speed up the process and save a lot of costs on new calculations and reduce the risk of the acquisition program.
The submarines are a symbol of the Norwegian Armed Forces ‘deterrent effect’, providing strategic capabilities to its current Navy. The procurement of joint ‘identical submarines’ with the German Navy will ensure there is cooperation with a collective framework in mind and working closely with NATO.
The contract is currently going through a pending approval with an announcement expected this Summer and the first submarine due in 2029.
