Germany is planning a new naval base at Emden on its North Sea coast to complement its existing facilities at Wilhelmshaven.
The Defence Ministry said it had reached a basic agreement on a possible port with Lower Saxony, the Federal Agency for Real Estate Tasks (BImA) and the city, though formal steps to acquire the land are still to come.
The ministry said Emden would complement and relieve Wilhelmshaven, currently the navy's only North Sea port, and add capacity for operations in the North Sea and Atlantic.
Up to 2,000 service posts are being considered, but the layout, schedule, cost and the ships to be based there have yet to be determined.
"We currently have the smallest navy in the history of the German Armed Forces, yet simultaneously the largest and most comprehensive portfolio of tasks. Therefore, the navy must grow, and it will," Pistorius told a press conference in Emden.
The base plans come alongside Germany's fleet expansion, including approval for four additional TKMS MEKO A-200 anti-submarine frigates, taking the planned order to eight.
The Defence Ministry said the Bundestag Budget Committee approved the construction contract on October 8, allowing Germany to exercise the option for four additional ships. Handover of the lead ship is planned for 2029.
