TKMS beckons billion-dollar order: Problems at Damen Naval slow down frigate project!

TKMS beckons billion-dollar order: Problems at Damen Naval slow down frigate project!

In northern Germany, everything revolves around the Kiel shipyard TKMS (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems), which currently has a good chance of winning a billion-dollar contract from the German Navy. What's behind it? An unexpected snag at the Dutch shipyard Damen Naval, which was originally intended to build new F126 frigates. After problems with the software changeover and the resulting delays, the shipyard is having difficulty providing the required design data. This could now benefit TKMS, like Mercury reported.

Damen Naval was originally awarded the contract to build a total of six frigates for the Bundeswehr in 2020, with the total value of the contract being up to ten billion euros. The difficulties at Damen Naval prompted defense politician Bastian Ernst from the CDU to call for the cooperation to be broken off. This is supported by a submission from the procurement office BAAINBW, which is due to reach Defense Minister Boris Pistorius this week.

Problems and possible solutions

The delays are not only a logistical problem, but also have financial implications. The first ship, which according to the plan was to be handed over to the Bundeswehr in 2028, now has a shaky schedule. The procurement of the frigates is to continue, but without Damen Naval, as NDR highlights.

A ray of hope could be in sight for the northern German shipyard TKMS. As an interim solution, TKMS could deliver frigates based on the MEKO A 200 type. This design has already proven successful in other international markets, such as Algeria and Egypt, and could close the gap in the short term. The promise was also made that the modern frigate F126 would continue to be part of German naval planning.

International competition and cooperation

The situation also shows how closely competition and cooperation are intertwined in the shipyard industry. Not only is TKMS competing with shipyards in South Korea, but it also has several international orders in the pipeline, including talks with Canadian Prime Minister Carney about building more ships. Nevertheless, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs reported that they had decided against an offer from TKMS. Despite these challenges, ThyssenKrupp shareholders are showing great support and decided almost unanimously at a meeting to stand behind their company.

The coming months could be crucial for the future of TKMS and the entire North German defense industry. It will be exciting to see whether the shipyard, with the commitment and know-how it has demonstrated, can overcome the challenge of supplying the Bundeswehr with the urgently needed frigates so that the wind will soon bring a fresh tailwind here again. Loud Mirror So there is enough reason to hope that the Kiel shipyard could soon be at the top of the list of clients.