Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Norwegian counterpart Bjørn Arild Gram have laid the symbolic foundation stone for the construction of a submarine maintenance centre at the Haakonsvern naval base. In future, the new 212CD (Common Design) submarines, which the Norwegian and German navies are jointly procuring, can also be maintained here.
The shipyard will also house the joint lifecycle management office, which will be staffed by personnel from both countries. The first of the new submarines is scheduled to be delivered to Norway in 2029, while the German Navy is expected to receive the first boat of this class in 2032.
The Haakonsvern base is located a few kilometres southwest of Bergen and is the Norwegian Navy's most important base. It is located close to the expected area of operations on NATO's northern flank, the so-called GIUK Gap. The Greenland-Iceland-UK Gap describes the sea area in the North Atlantic from the northern tip of Great Britain via the Orkney and Shetland Islands and the Faroe Islands to Iceland and the south-eastern tip of Greenland. Ships from the Russian Northern Fleet have to cross it to reach the Atlantic. In the event of a conflict between Russia and the West, this sea area would be of great strategic importance, both as a supply route between America and Western Europe and because intercontinental data cables run through it.
The "GIUK Gap" between Greenland and Great Britain. Infographic: NZZ/Lea
The Federal Republic of Germany and the Kingdom of Norway ordered six of these submarines from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (tkMS) in 2021 - two for the German Navy and four for the Norwegian Navy. In summer 2024, both countries extended their order to a total of six submarines each. The four additional German boats alone, the approval of which is currently being discussed by the German Bundestag's Budget Committee, are estimated to cost several billion euros.
The submarines were needed because the maritime threat situation made this absolutely necessary. According to Boris Pistorius, the Russian navy is extremely active in the North Sea, the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea and poses a clear threat.
In addition, a declaration of intent was agreed between the German and Norwegian defence ministers for stronger cooperation and partnership in space. But that's another story.
kdk, BMVg, NZZ
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