The Norwegian government has approved activation of its procurement option for two additional Type 212CD submarines, a move that increases the Royal Norwegian Navy’s future fleet to six German-built boats and brings the total project value close to 100 billion Norwegian kroner. The decision accompanies a 19-billion-kroner purchase of long-range missiles, forming part of a broader modernization push aimed at strengthening NATO deterrence along the alliance’s northern perimeter.
Officials in Oslo confirmed the expansion following parliamentary support for a six-submarine force under the joint German-Norwegian program. Built by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the advanced Type 212CD class is central to both nations’ undersea strategy and is being framed as a direct response to mounting Russian submarine operations into the northern Atlantic. The combined procurement provides common logistics and industrial advantages while enhancing collective NATO undersea surveillance.
Norway originally planned to buy four submarines under a 46-billion-kroner agreement signed in 2021 to replace the Ula-class fleet. Exercising the option for two more boats, along with inflation and higher equipment costs, now pushes the total expenditure to nearly 100 billion kroner. Delivery of the first Norwegian submarine is scheduled for 2029, with follow-on units arriving throughout the next decade, enabling a gradual handover that maintains continuous undersea capability.
