Norway has confirmed it will exercise its option to purchase two additional Type 212CD submarines from Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, expanding its future undersea fleet from four to six vessels under a bilateral program with Germany. The decision nearly doubles the program’s total value to approximately 100 billion Norwegian kroner, and is accompanied by a separate 19 billion kroner long-range missile acquisition—significantly enhancing NATO’s undersea and strike capabilities in the High North amid rising Russian naval activity.
The Norwegian government’s announcement, delivered in Oslo after parliamentary approval for a six-submarine fleet, deepens the existing German-Norwegian partnership that currently covers four Norwegian and six German Type 212CD boats. Officials describe the expansion as a direct response to increased Russian submarine operations extending from the Kola Peninsula into the Barents Sea and North Atlantic.
Originally contracted in 2021 with a 46-billion-kroner budget to replace Norway’s aging Ula-class, the program has grown with the activation of the additional submarine option, compounded by higher defense procurement costs and exchange-rate pressures. The first Norwegian Type 212CD is slated for delivery in 2029, with follow-on units arriving into the mid-2030s to ensure a seamless fleet transition.
