Norway and Germany have signed a new bilateral defense framework, known as the Hansa Arrangement, formalizing closer military and industrial cooperation amid growing security concerns in Europe.
Signed during the Munich Security Conference, the arrangement involves cooperation across all operational domains.
Focus areas include maritime security, joint operations, and land warfare.
Space-based surveillance, targeting, and communications are also included.
“Strong European cooperation is essential to fulfilling NATO’s burden-sharing commitments, where Europe must assume a greater share of responsibility for its own security,” stated Norway’s Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik.
Expanding Defense Ties
In the maritime domain, Berlin and Oslo cooperate closely through a shared submarine program.
As part of the effort, the two countries cooperate on personnel training and are building new maintenance facilities at Haakonsvern in Bergen, Norway, to support their submarine fleets.
Additionally, the partnership includes joint development of a next-generation long-range maritime missile and an increased naval presence by both countries in the North Atlantic to support allied security.
Moreover, German forces routinely train and conduct exercises in Norway, including the upcoming Cold Response 26 drills, which involve deployments on land, at sea, and in the air.
The partnership is reinforced by defense-industrial ties, with Norway ranking as Germany’s second-largest defense customer last year at about 1.4 billion euros ($1.6 billion) in purchases.
As part of this cooperation, Norwegian firm RITEK will assemble 37 of the 54 Leopard 2 tanks ordered from Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
At the same time, the two militaries also operate together in the German-led multinational brigade in Lithuania under NATO’s enhanced forward presence.
Ties are also expanding into the space sector.
Officials note that Andøya Spaceport, playing a central role in Norway’s space strategy, could also support future German launch activities.
