Germany and Norway are jointly developing Class 212CD submarines. They are built according to the principle of interchangeability: an important signal from NATO.
Oslo/Kiel – Six giants are being born in Kiel and will soon plow the seas in the north: the new Type 212CD submarines are expected to be as long as three adult blue whales. The first boats are scheduled to leave the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in 2027. With a length of 73 meters, they are significantly larger than the German Navy’s most modern submarines to date – the U31 class is only 56 meters long. The size is not the only special feature. Behind the construction of the boats is a unique project: The NATO partners Germany and Norway developed the submarines together; the German Navy will take over two submarines and four from the Norwegian side. They are built in such a way that crews from both armed forces can immediately find their way around each other’s boats.
Submarine 212CD is a joint armaments project between Norway and Germany
“You definitely don’t do something like that with someone you don’t trust,” says Michael Kern, executive board member of the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce AHK in Oslo. The military project is a clear signal of the new, close political and economic relations between the two states. “Germany is Norway’s most important partner in Europe,” said Kern. This is formulated in a similar way in the so-called Germany Strategy, a paper from the Norwegian government that deals with bilateral relations with European partners.
Submarine: New Class 212CD
► The new submarine 212CD is based on the class 212A. The letters “CD” stand for “Common Design”.
► Length: 73 meters, displacement: 2,800 tons, commissioning: from 2029
► Norway and Germany are developing the submarines together, two boats go to Germany and four to Norway. Costs in Germany: 2.79 billion euros, costs in Norway: 4.5 billion euros.
► The boat hull gets a new shape that is less round and more reminiscent of a diamond. This is intended to make it more difficult to locate the submarines.
► Instead of a periscope, the Class 212CD so-called optronic mast systems receive. These work with the help of sensors and are intended to provide clear images even in poor optical visibility.
Since the Ukraine war: Germany needs oil and gas from Norway
As an Anglophile country, Norway has long been strongly oriented towards Great Britain. But last but not least, Brexit led to the cards being reshuffled, says Kern. The cooperation in the defense industry does not stand on its own; rather, a network of reciprocal transactions is now gradually developing, which is increasingly bringing the industries of both countries together. Norway recently decided to purchase German Leopard 2 tanks, which were in… Munich to be built, to buy. Germany, in turn, has needed since then Ukraine war increasing oil and gas from Norway. And there are concrete plans for a pipeline through which Norway will supply hydrogen to Germany in the future.
“The German-Norwegian arms cooperation goes beyond the procurement of a technically improved submarine,” says the Federal Ministry of Defense. In addition to the development of the submarines, the cooperation also includes joint maintenance, repairs, spare parts supply and crew training. The project is a showcase example of the so-called interchangeability approach, which involves the interchangeability of material between NATO partners, said Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD).
Submarines are suitable for reconnaissance on NATO’s northern border with Russia
Where exactly the new submarines will be used and what tasks they will have is not yet known in detail. One area will probably be reconnaissance in the North Sea or in the Barents Sea on the border with Russia. There, on the so-called NATO northern flank, Norway has recently ramped up its activities, says Norwegian Brigadier General Eystein Kvarving. “We are doing more reconnaissance flights and using new aircraft. In addition to the old P3 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft, we are increasingly using new P8 Poseidon models.”
One place that the reconnaissance investigators are particularly looking at is the area around the Russian Kola Peninsula. The port of Murmansk there is often ice-free even in winter due to the Gulf Stream, which makes the region a strategically important place for Russia. A large part of Russia’s nuclear weapons is also stored here. Recently, the Norwegians have repeatedly observed Russian movements in the sea on the Russian-Norwegian border and have spotted submarines and drones. The new Class 212CD submarines are likely to be able to bring situational awareness significantly forward: Compared to the previous models, the sensor technology has been improved, the boats have a longer range and a reduced sound signature, which offers them more protection against potential enemy reconnaissance. In addition, the submarines have a completely new command and weapon deployment system, i.e. a new IT infrastructure that should be able to process larger amounts of information than before.
Norway is planning a major military exercise “Nordic Response 2024” with NATO partners
Could the construction and deployment of the new submarines near the northern NATO border in Norway, where there is currently tension anyway, not be perceived as a threat from a Russian perspective? “There is absolutely no reason for Russia to feel threatened because NATO countries work together or conduct joint exercises,” emphasizes Kvarving. “Next year, for example, we have a big exercise called ‘Nordic Response 2024’ together with Finland and Sweden. The Russians may not be happy about it, but they are used to such exercises.” There is no need to be afraid of direct confrontations, since Finland’s accession to NATO and Sweden’s upcoming accession, the NATO northern flank is safer than ever. (pen)
Transparency note: Ippen.Media was invited to Oslo by the Norwegian embassy in Berlin.
#Germany #Norway #building #giant #submarines #important #NATO #signal