German minister in Norway for launch of new submarine centre

German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius travelled to Bergen on Norway's south-western coast on Monday for a groundbreaking ceremony with his Norwegian counterpart Bjørn Arild Gram for a new submarine repair centre, reported dpa.

In 2021, the two NATO partners agreed a joint contract for the purchase of six submarines from German provider Thyssen Krupp Marine Systems. With the project, the two countries are aiming for a common design of their submarines.

The German military procurement office has stated that the new submarine class not only showed technological progress, but that close cooperation with Norway would lead to synergies in logistics and refitting.

This would increase the operational availability of the "strategic weapons system" and cut costs, it said, also pointing to the new submarines' increased range and anti-reconnaissance design.

Pistorius was to travel to the Haakonsvern naval base, where the new submarine centre was to be presented.

The German Defence Ministry has placed orders for two of the new submarines and intends to place orders for four more at a cost of more than €4 billion.

The move is also seen as a step towards fulfilling NATO requirements.