The design of the boats was based on plans purchased from the German firm AG Weser in January 1916.

The Navy authorized Cantiere Navale Triestino to begin construction of the submarines in Pola in September 1916.

With boats to fill that need either under construction or purchased from Germany, efforts were focused on building submarines for operation in the wider Mediterranean, outside the Adriatic.

[2] In January 1916 Cantiere Navale Triestino (CNT) purchased plans for an 800-tonne (880-short-ton) submarine from the German firm AG Weser of Bremen.

[1] Although CNT had secured fully complete plans from Weser, the Austro-Hungarian design modifications delayed the start of construction.