Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Secures Record-Breaking Contract Milestone
thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has been officially tasked to manufacture six identical Type 212CD submarines. The procurement agencies of Norway and Germany finalized the relevant agreements today. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the ceremony was conducted on a smaller scale and virtually; clients were connected via video conference in Kiel. Following the event, CEO Dr. Rolf Wirtz stated: “The 212CD contract represents a significant milestone. The navies of Norway and Germany will be equipped with the most advanced submarines globally. Our international and industrial collaboration will continuously influence partnerships in the maritime sector, and we have secured capacity utilization for our firm. Today is an excellent day for our workforce and for thyssenkrupp!”
Valued at approximately €5.5 billion, the contract entails the provision of two submarines to the German Navy and four to the Norwegian Navy.
Just yesterday, on July 7, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and its Norwegian industrial ally Kongsberg ratified a cooperative agreement. Industrial alliance between Germany and Norway is a fundamental aspect of the 212CD initiative – thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is counting on the Norwegian firm Kongsberg for this venture and additional projects in the global market. After signing the deal with Kongsberg on July 7, 2021, CFO Paul Glaser remarked: “With Kongsberg, we have a robust partner with whom we will continue to execute numerous projects together in the future. The agreement with Kongsberg constitutes the most substantial segment of the 212CD project – a testament to the strong ties between Norway and Germany.”
Norway and Germany had previously established a partnership in 2017 that extends beyond the assembly of six new HDW Type 212CD submarines, representing a new generation of the Type 212A. The design of the Type 212A submarine, which has demonstrated its effectiveness with the German and Italian navies, will be further enhanced with the integration of innovative technologies to advance the U212 family in Europe. This initiative signifies another critical stride towards intensifying and broadening European cooperation in the domain of defense.
Construction of the first vessel is set to commence in 2023. The initial submarine for the Norwegian Navy is anticipated to be delivered in 2029, while the delivery of two vessels for the German Navy is planned for 2032 and 2034. In preparation for this order, thyssenkrupp has already initiated investments of approximately €250 million in 2019. The objective is to further establish thyssenkrupp Marine Systems at the Kiel site as an international center of competence for the production of conventional submarines. The construction of a new shipbuilding hall has already commenced, with visible progress at the shipyard. With the placement of this order in the Norwegian-German strategic cooperation project U212CD, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will strengthen its alliance with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA), which has been in existence since 2017, and broaden its value-adding industrial collaborations in Norway and Germany.
212CD Submarine design – Key Specifications
- Displacement (surface): ~ 2,500 m³
- Overall Length: ~ 73 m
- Beam: ~ 10 m
- Height: ~ 13 m
