Germany flexes submarine muscle with additional 4 boat order

BELFAST — Germany has opted to substantially boost its subsurface capabilities by tripling an order for new ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) 212CD (Common Design) submarines as part of an existing joint procurement with Norway.

A contract to acquire four of the conventionally powered, diesel electric boats on top of two units already on order was signed off by Germany’s procurement office today. The wider effort could also see Norway committing to an additional two vessel order, according to the office.

The two European nations first linked arms on the joint acquisition in 2021, amounting to six subs in all, and valued at approximately €5.5 billion ($5.7 billion).

The German parliament approved the increased 212CD buy on Wednesday, alongside a raft of other new defense spending commitments amounting to €21 billion. These include kickstarting procurement of Class 127 frigates, reactive armor for Puma Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFVs) and additional Patriot missiles, as well as acquisition of Israel’s Elbit Systems’ Precise and Universal Launching System (PULS) rocket artillery, according to an online statement from the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMvG).

TKMS welcomed the decision by Berlin to order additional vessels, and noted it is “receiving with this comprehensive order expansion in the current 212CD program one of the largest orders in the recent history of the company,” according to a company statement.

It also said that the “ongoing production of the existing 212CD submarines for Germany and Norway is on schedule.”

TKMS is set to deliver the first German vessel in 2032 and the Norwegian Navy is expected to receive its first boat in 2029.

To expand production capacity, TKMS has already invested more than €250 million in its Kiel facility. The company also said of the new order that it “will involve advance payments that will have a positive impact on cash flow in the current financial year and will be used accordingly for the milestones of the order.”

TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard added, “With the expansion of the 212CD order, other countries could join this project in the near future.”

According to German Armed Forces literature, the new class of sub is “designed to process an enormous amount of sensor data, which gives the crew new options for the compilation of situation pictures while enhancing the ability to network with allied units.” It also notes that the acoustic signature of the sub “has been significantly reduced by comparison [to the 212A Class] and is designed to prevent discovery by potential adversaries in spite of the improvements in detection procedures.”