Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has been commissioned to build six identical Type 212CD submarines. The procurement organisations of Norway and Germany signed the corresponding contracts on 8 July 2021. Worth approximately €5.5Bn, the order comprises the delivery of two submarines to the German Navy and four to the Norwegian Navy.
On 7 July, TKMS and its Norwegian industrial partner Kongsberg signed a cooperation agreement, with industrial cooperation between Germany and Norway considered a cornerstone of the 212CD project. In 2017, Norway and Germany had already entered into a cooperation covering more than the construction of six new HDW Type 212CD submarines, as a new generation of the Type 212A. The design of the Type 212A submarine, which is in service with the German and Italian navies, will be further developed and construction of the first boat will begin in 2023.
Delivery of the first submarine for the Norwegian Navy is expected for 2029, while delivery of the two boats for the German Navy is scheduled for 2032 and 2034. In preparation for the order, TKMS has already made investments of around €250M in 2019. The objective is to further develop TKMS at the Kiel location into an international centre of competence for the building of conventional submarines. Construction of a new shipbuilding hall has already begun.
212CD | Submarine design – Main data
- Displacement (surface): ~ 2,500 m³
- Length overall: ~ 73 m
- Beam: ~ 10 m
- Height: ~ 13 m
S44 Delivery
This was announced on the same day that TKMS officially handed over the fourth 209/1400mod class submarine (named S44) to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Following strict coronavirus prevention measures at the shipyard, the handover took place in Kiel. The contract for the delivery of the first two 209/1400 mod class submarines to Egypt was signed in 2011. In 2015, the country decided to take the option for two additional units. The first submarine was handed over in December 2016, the second in August 2017 and the third in April 2020. All four submarines will enhance Egypt’s defence capabilities and combat efficiency, achieving maritime security and protecting Egyptian coasts as well as economic interests between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea.
S44 was named in September 2020 and launched at the TKMS shipyard in Kiel. The submarine is extremely reliable, can stay submerged for a long time, is fast and hard to locate thanks its low signatures.
Jack Richardson
