Norway has confirmed it will exercise an option to procure two additional Type 212CD submarines from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, increasing its future fleet from four to six advanced boats under its collaborative program with Germany. The decision pushes the overall program cost to nearly 100 billion kroner and is accompanied by a separate 19-billion-kroner investment in long-range missiles—a major reinforcement of NATO’s underwater presence and strike capability in the Arctic amid rising Russian naval activity.
Announced in Oslo following parliamentary approval for a six-sub fleet, the move strengthens a German-Norwegian partnership that already includes the joint acquisition of four submarines for Norway and six for Germany. Norwegian officials describe the expansion as a direct response to heightened Russian submarine operations originating from the Kola Peninsula and operating into the Barents Sea and North Atlantic.
The initial 2021 contract covered six joint-ordered Type 212CD submarines backed by a 46-billion-kroner budget to replace Norway’s Ula-class boats. Exercising the option—combined with higher defense procurement costs and exchange-rate impacts—nearly doubles the projected spending. The first submarine for Norway is expected in 2029, with subsequent deliveries extending into the mid-2030s, enabling a phased modernization of the fleet.
