TSAMTO, September 14. ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems announced a ceremony held on September 12 at the Kiel shipyard dedicated to the start of construction of the first Type-212CD submarine for the Norwegian Navy.
The event was attended by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Norwegian Defense Minister Bjorn Arild Gram.
The construction is carried out within the framework of the joint Norwegian and German Navy program for the purchase of Type-212CD (Common Designs; U212CD). The contract signed in July 2021 for the construction of 6 submarines of the series for two countries (four for the Norwegian Navy and two for the German Navy) became the largest in the history of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.
As reported by TSAMTO, in February 2017, the Norwegian Ministry of Defense announced that the Norwegian government had chosen Germany as a strategic partner for the implementation of a program for the supply of new-generation submarines. In addition, the parties reached an agreement on expanding cooperation on other projects.
As part of the cooperation, Norway acquires four submarines, designated "Type-212CD", which will be built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) in Kiel. The German Navy will purchase two submarines in a similar configuration. In the future, the number of project participants may increase.
Cooperation within the framework of the project will also extend to the training of personnel, conducting exercises, the supply of spare parts, maintenance, repair and modernization, industrial cooperation between the defense enterprises of the two states. This will allow countries to save money on the acquisition and operation of NAPL.
In July 2021, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems officially announced the receipt of an order for the construction of six identical Type-212CD submarines for the Norwegian and German Navies. The relevant contracts were signed with the procurement authorities of Norway and Germany. In connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, the ceremony was held in a virtual format via videoconference. The cost of the order, which includes the supply of two submarines for the German Navy and four for the Norwegian Navy, is 5.5 billion. euro.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems has also signed a cooperation agreement with the Norwegian company Kongsberg, acting as a partner.
According to the plans, the construction of the lead submarine for the Norwegian Navy will begin in 2023. Its delivery is scheduled for 2029. Deliveries of two submarines of the German Navy should take place in 2032 and 2034. In preparation for the implementation of the contract in 2019, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems invested about 250 million euros in the project to create an international competence center in the field of construction of non-nuclear submarines in Kiel. A new shipbuilding workshop was built specifically for the project on the territory of the shipyard in Kiel in two years.
The NAPS will be used for anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, reconnaissance and support of MTR operations. As planned, the Type-212CD class submarine will be a further development of the Type-212A class submarine. Its length will be 74 m, width – 10 m, height – 13 m, surface displacement – 2500 cubic meters. It will be distinguished by a reduced acoustic signature, enhanced situational awareness capabilities, and a network communication system with allied units.
Norway and Germany intend to create a joint office for the management of the operation of the NAF, staffed by personnel from the two countries, to plan and carry out maintenance and modernization of all six submarines.
A specialized shipyard for the maintenance of Norwegian and German Type-212CD submarines is being built at the Hokonsvern Naval Base near Bergen in Norway, which is expected to be ready in 2029, by the time the first submarine is put into service.