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Norway announced plans to buy two additional submarines and invest in long-range precision strike systems as part of a major military expansion driven by increased Russian military activity in northern waters.

The defense ministry said the new procurement would cost 65 billion Norwegian kroner (about $6.4 billion), and would add two submarines to the four already ordered from Germany’s TKMS.

The government submitted a proposal to parliament seeking a 46 billion kroner increase to the submarine program budget. The extra funding will cover the two new boats and help finance a second production line in Germany to ensure the submarines can be delivered on schedule.

Officials said the expanded submarine fleet is essential as Norway faces persistent Russian provocations, including airspace violations and heightened naval operations in the North Atlantic and Barents Sea. Concerns have also grown that Russia may shift its strategic attention to the Baltic region if the war in Ukraine stabilizes.

“Norway is a coastal and maritime nation, and submarines are absolutely central to the defense of our country,” Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik said. “With six submarines, the armed forces will be able to operate more vessels in more locations at any given time. This will have a strong deterrent effect on any potential adversary.”

Sandvik said Russia’s increased presence in the North Atlantic and the Barents Sea demanded a stronger Norwegian posture. Submarines, he argued, are indispensable for surveillance, deterrence, and maintaining situational awareness in northern waters.

“As NATO’s eyes and ears in the north, this places greater demands on our ability to show presence, monitor, and deter in our neighboring areas. In this context, submarines are absolutely indispensable,” Defense Minister Sandvik added.

Concerns over Russia’s High North Posture

The announcement comes as military officials across Scandinavia warn of growing Russian interest in the Arctic region. Denmark’s Arctic Commander General Soren Anderson said in an interview this week that he expects Russia to intensify its military buildup in the High North once the war in Ukraine winds down.

The Bear Gap, a critical maritime corridor between Svalbard and mainland Norway, remains a central concern for NATO planners. The passage is a key transit zone for Russian ballistic-missile submarines moving from the shallow waters of the Barents Sea to deeper areas in the Norwegian Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.

Norway’s expanded fleet is expected to play a major role in tracking these movements. Two of the four submarines ordered in 2021 are already under construction in Germany, and the first is expected to be delivered in 2029.

Norway noted that rising costs for raw materials, weapon systems, equipment, and exchange-rate fluctuations have driven up the overall price of the program. Upgrades planned for all six boats are also contributing to the higher cost estimate.

Investment in Long-Range Precision Strike Systems

Alongside the submarine expansion, Norway plans to spend 19 billion kroner on long-range precision fires for the Army, capable of hitting targets up to 500 kilometers away.

The government did not disclose what weapons it intends to acquire but said the package includes launchers, missiles, training, and support systems.

Sandvik said long-range strike capabilities have become increasingly essential as modern conflicts, particularly in Ukraine, have demonstrated the importance of deep-range precision weapons.

“We live in increasingly turbulent times, and it is important that we have defense capabilities that can deter a potential adversary,” Anderson said. “Long-range precision weapons have a deterrent effect because they can strike targets deep inside an adversary’s territory if necessary.”

Denmark announced in September that it also intends to acquire long-range strike weapons to strengthen its defense posture and NATO’s broader deterrence strategy. Details on the Danish systems are still being finalized.

UK and Norway Navy Forge Cooperation

The expansion of Norway’s submarine program follows recent agreements with the United Kingdom to strengthen maritime security in the North Atlantic. London and Oslo have signed a pact to operate a joint fleet of British-built Type-26 frigates optimized for anti-submarine warfare.

British officials say the agreement is partly driven by rising concerns over Russian attempts to monitor or disrupt undersea cables. According to the UK Ministry of Defense, Russian vessels have been spotted in British waters 30% more frequently over the past two years.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the new joint fleet “historic,” saying it would strengthen both nations’ ability to protect critical seabed infrastructure.

The announcement was made during Starmer’s meeting with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Store at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland, where the leaders received briefings from maritime patrol crews tracking Russian vessels, including the intelligence ship Yantar.

Western officials suspect Yantar has been mapping undersea cables and was recently accused of using lasers to disrupt Royal Air Force pilots.

The UK and Norway have stood together in the High North for generations.

Today, Defence Minister @toreosa and I signed the Lunna House Agreement which takes that partnership to the next level – protecting our waters & critical undersea infrastructure in this new era of threat. pic.twitter.com/pebxowJ7Ud

— John Healey (@JohnHealey_MP) December 4, 2025

The joint defense pact is backed by a $13 billion warship agreement signed in September. At least 13 anti-submarine ships from both countries, five of them Norwegian, will operate together across northern European waters.

The fleet will monitor Russian naval activity in the Greenland-Iceland-UK gap and help defend seabed cables and pipelines critical to communications, electricity, and gas supplies.

Under the agreement, the navies will also cooperate on war-gaming, the use of UK-built Sting Ray torpedoes, and cold-weather training for Royal Marines in Norway. Both sides will collaborate on developing specialized “motherships” for uncrewed mine-hunting and undersea warfare systems.

The Royal Navy will also adopt Norwegian Naval Strike Missiles, which can strike enemy ships at distances beyond 160 kilometers.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey said the pact reflects the need for hard power and strong alliances as Russian activity intensifies. NATO allies have grown increasingly worried about the security of underwater pipelines and communication cables following the invasion of Ukraine and several unexplained incidents affecting undersea infrastructure across Europe.

Norway’s Strategic Role

Norway plays a central role as NATO’s primary monitor of a two-million-square-kilometer zone of the North Atlantic used by Russia’s Northern Fleet, whose base on the Kola Peninsula is close to the Norwegian border.

Monitoring Russian submarine activity, especially nuclear-capable vessels, remains one of Norway’s key defense tasks. “The first of the six submarines is expected to be delivered in 2029,” Norway said, noting the importance of sustained investment in maritime defense as threats evolve.

Western nations continue to increase defense spending amid pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump and ongoing concerns about Russia following its invasion of Ukraine. Norway’s expanded procurement program reflects a broader push across NATO to bolster deterrence, harden critical infrastructure, and prepare for a more contested security environment in the High North.