STOCKHOLM — Norway’s government has presented a new bill to parliament proposing to add two more boats to the submarine program, confirming parliament’s decision in the latest long-term defense plan that the country should eventually operate six new boats in total.
This will have a “strong deterrent effect on any potential adversary. It will also significantly strengthen NATO’s overall ability to maintain control and defence in the North Atlantic and the High North,” Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik said when the bill was presented Friday.
The additional Type 212CD submarines from Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) subs will bring the overall program cost to 98 billion kroner ($9.69 billion), with the two new subs — including weapons and integration — costing approximately 46 billion kroner ($4.54 billion)
That price point is significantly higher than what was expected for the original four due to overall inflation in the defense sector and sharply increased costs for raw materials, the Defense Ministry said in its bill to the parliament.
The additional costs cover “necessary adjustments to the original contract” for the first four boats — mainly additional weapons and spares — as well as Norway’s share of funding for a second production line in Germany, the defense ministry stated in the bill.
Together with TKMS, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) formed the joint-venture KTA, which is responsible for developing and supplying the complete combat system for the Type 212CD submarines.
The first two Norwegian submarines are already under construction in Germany, and the first is expected to be delivered to the Norwegian Navy in 2029. The remaining four submarines will be delivered progressively, with the final boat scheduled for 2038.
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The program aims to replace current Ula-class submarines — commissioned in 1989 and 1992 and nearing the end of their operational service life — with a modern submarine class that provides greater endurance, increased operational flexibility and improved ability to operate together with allies, the defense ministry said in the bill on Friday.
Submarines remain a critical high-priority capability for defending NATO’s northern flank as Russia maintains significant naval and strategic forces on the Kola Peninsula, and its submarine forces and long-range weapons in the High North remain a key focus for Moscow.
Long-range Precision Weapons
Also on Friday, the Norwegian government proposed allocating 19 billion kroner (1.87 billion USD) to equip the army with long-range precision strike systems, according to the bill submitted to the parliament.
The weapon system to be acquired represents a new capability for the army and will be organized into a new Rocket Artillery Battalion established specifically for this purpose. The battalion is planned to be stationed in Inner Troms in northern Norway.
Long-range precision fires will give the army the ability to strike targets “with high accuracy at distances of up to 500 kilometres. This is a strategically vital investment,” Sandvik stated.
The Storting already decided in the most recent long-term defence plan that the army should receive such systems. With the proposal, the government is delivering on parliament’s decision.
New Danish Surveillance Vessel
Meanwhile in Denmark, the Danish Ministry of Defense and a broad parliamentary majority confirmed on Friday that funds have been allocated for the purchase of a dedicated surveillance ship focused on monitoring critical undersea infrastructure.
The vessel will be used to detect and respond to activity near subsea power cables, data cables, and gas pipelines in Danish waters and adjacent sea areas. Specific technical details and delivery timelines for the ship have not yet been released.
Copenhagen described the decision as part of ongoing efforts for surveillance under water and on the seabed.
“This is an area where threats are constantly evolving, and where we must be able to react quickly and independently,” Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen said. “That is why we are following the Defence Command’s recommendation to own a dedicated capability, so that we maintain the necessary freedom of action and operational control, thereby strengthening the Armed Forces’ combat power as much as possible.”