Cooperation with Norway
TKMS builds new submarines for navy
September 12, 2023, 4:44 p.m
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Norway and Germany are getting new submarines. So far, six copies have been agreed to be delivered from the end of the decade. Defense Minister Pistorius would like to expand the order. At the same time, the federal government is considering becoming a shareholder in the Thyssenkrupp shipyard.
The company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has started producing a new series of submarines. As the company in Kiel announced, it is a joint program for the German and Norwegian navies to build 212CD class submarines. The order placed in July 2021 is therefore the largest in the company’s history to date. Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Norwegian department head Bjørn Arild Gram also took part in the ceremony to mark the start of construction of the first submarine. The first Norwegian submarine was built in Kiel in 1909.
In the presence of the two top politicians, who had come into the hall accompanied by the sounds of a submarine sonar, the first welding work took place a little later on the front part of the pressure hull of the first of four submarines for Norway. Germany has so far ordered two of the identical boats. The total order value for all six boats is said to be a good five and a half billion euros. Deliveries are scheduled to take place from 2029. Germany will receive its first boat in 2032.
Germany has an option to purchase four to six additional submarines. “There is no question that we want to,” said Pistorius. It would also be about staggering time. A decision will be made in the next one or two years. Norway has an option to purchase four more submarines. The country will decide on its long-term planning in 2024, said Gram.
New hall, 400 jobs
The cooperation in the development of the new submarine series is “a sign of great trust between our two countries,” said Pistorius. The SPD politician announced that the cooperation would be further deepened. “Maritime security is becoming increasingly important worldwide and especially in Europe,” explained the CEO of Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Oliver Burkhard. “The 212CD program is a first crucial milestone in establishing state-of-the-art NATO standards in the underwater sector.”
Thyssenkrupp boss Miguel López emphasized that one of the most modern shipbuilding halls in the world and 400 new jobs had been created in Kiel in just two years. The building, which is visible from afar and has seven individual halls, is part of a modernization of the shipyard costing around a quarter of a billion euros.
According to its own information, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is the world leader in the construction of conventional submarines. According to the shipyard, the new boats, which are almost 74 meters long and 10 meters wide, have more advanced capabilities in creating situation reports and a reduced signature compared to the current German submarines.
The federal government is examining entry
The federal government is now considering joining Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. According to a ministry spokeswoman in Kiel, Pistorius said they were considering acquiring a minority stake. The exam will last until the end of the year.
Thyssenkrupp is currently pushing ahead with the independence of the subsidiary, which, in addition to submarines, also builds frigates, corvettes and systems for recovering old ammunition. The head of IG Metall Coast, Daniel Friedrich, demanded last week: “We need the state as an anchor investor and a strong customer.”
The company currently employs around 3,100 people in Kiel alone. Schleswig-Holstein’s Prime Minister Daniel Günther emphasized that the vast majority of Kiel residents knew what was happening in the shipyard’s halls and were proud of it. “The industry is a driving force for the business location with an annual turnover of two billion euros and 20,000 associated jobs.” Defense technology is not just an export good. In the direction of Pistorius, he demanded that orders for the navy must be increased now at the latest.