Norway seeks submarine cooperation with other nations

Norway is working towards establishing an extensive submarine cooperation with other nations, including Germany, to reduce cost and secure a robust capability for the future, the Ministry of Defence said on Monday.

The Ministry of Defence is currently leading the work looking at procurement of new submarines and also in active discussions with several different nations with regards to potential submarine cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.

The current Norwegian Ula-class submarines will gradually reach their end of life in the 2020s, and the procurement of new submarines is in its definition phase, which will be completed in the first half of 2016 when the external quality review is completed.

The Ministry of Defence said it has not chosen a supplier for new submarines and is at present in dialogue with several different shipyards.

Norway and Germany have already a longstanding and successful submarine cooperation and Germany is therefore a nation which it is natural for Norway to discuss a potential future submarine cooperation with, the ministry said.

In addition to operational and purely defence related matters, industry will play an important part in a future submarine cooperation, it added.

Source: Xinhua