German defense minister seeks $5B deal to buy four submarines, sources say
PHOTO CAPTION: Illustrative photo — The Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) transits the Strait of San Juan de Fuca escorted by U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft and U.S. Coast Guard screening escort vessels. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Gwendelyn Ohrazda via U.S. Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
BERLIN (Reuters) -German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius wants to purchase four submarines in a deal worth more than 4.7 billion euros ($5 billion) that will require parliamentary spending committee approval, two sources told Reuters on Friday, confirming a news report.
In a request submitted to the committee, the ministry says the acquisition is needed for Germany to fulfil new NATO requirements for better protection of the alliance's northern flank, according to Spiegel news magazine, which has seen the documents.
The ministry is seeking to procure four more Type 212CD submarines which are manufactured by Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, sources told Reuters.
Thyssenkrupp did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The defence ministry said that ongoing parliamentary talks about funds for further defence procurement were "good and constructive" without providing detail on specific projects.
In total, the budget committee has received 29 so-called "25-million euro proposals" for defence and equipment projects that are to be adopted this year, budget committee members told Reuters. Any military procurement worth more than 25 million euros needs approval from the parliamentary budget committee.
Members of the budget committee told Reuters that they are analysing it.
"We are paying particular attention to the proposal to purchase additional submarines due to its importance in terms of security policy, but also because of the high amount of funds required," said Karsten Klein, member of the budget committee from the Free Democrats (FDP).
Another committee member told Reuters that the proposal is to be decided on this year.
($1 = 0.9446 euros)
(Reporting by Rachel More, Friederike Heine and Maria Martinez; editing by Thomas Seythal and Jason Neely)
