Blohm+Voss enters the production of drone boats. The Hamburg shipyard will manufacture unmanned surface drones for military and civilian missions in future. Rheinmetall is taking over the shipyard as part of the NVL takeover and is expanding its business with autonomous systems. The first boats are already being tested in the shipyard harbour. A small number of 15 boats are planned for the launch. The shipyard is preparing to produce around 200 per year at the start. In three-shift operation, production could increase to up to 1,000 boats per year. Up to 400 new jobs are possible. The project is being realised in cooperation with the British company Kraken Technology. At the same time, however, the shipyard is fighting to maintain the F126 frigate project, which is jeopardised by massive delays.
Compact power packs for the navy
The drone boats measure just over eight metres in length and reach speeds of around 90 km/h. They are controlled by joystick from land or from a ship. "The boat can be used for surveillance missions, for example," explains Tim Wagner, head of the NVL naval shipyard group. The boats can also be equipped with weapons, similar to those already being used by Ukraine in the war against Russia. "We are taking a close look at everything that is currently being developed unconventionally," says Wagner. The next development step is already underway: Rheinmetall is developing fully autonomous drones with a test vehicle. Wagner sees no conflict with the existing business with naval vessels: "In my view, we will continue to operate the large combat ships with crews for at least the next 20 to 30 years. The applications for the smaller ones are completely different."
Drone boats: international demand exists
Orders for the boats have already been placed. Wagner confirms interest from the navies of several NATO countries. Customers outside NATO are also showing interest. Rheinmetall openly states that countries such as Brunei and Egypt are interested in the autonomous boats. Peace researcher Prof. Michael Brzoska from the University of Hamburg believes that an increased commitment to armaments is necessary for the Bundeswehr, but warns: "The defence industry is using the significant increase in social value to become more aggressive in the area of arms exports." The political situation has given Blohm+Voss an unexpected boost. Critics criticise the fact that the defence industry's involvement is hardly questioned. For Hamburg as a business location, however, the development of the boats means positive impulses.
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F126 frigate project in jeopardy
While the drone boat project picks up speed, Blohm+Voss is threatened with the loss of a major order. The F126 frigate project is on a slippery slope. The Dutch shipyard Damen Naval was unable to realise production on time. The delivery date for the first of six F126s, originally scheduled for 2028, can no longer be met. 2032 at the earliest seems realistic. The Federal Ministry of Defence then asked NVL and TKMS in parallel to find a solution. NVL was involved from the outset as a subcontractor of Damen Naval. Blohm+Voss was to take over the final outfitting, shipyard trials and delivery of the ships. NVL recently succeeded in transferring the design data to its production system. "Based on the test procedure to date and the constructive cooperation with our partners and the public client, we expect to successfully complete the project takeover in a few weeks," writes NVL.
Alternative from TKMS
TKMS is offering a completely different solution. The company wants to build a modified version of the Meko A-200 called the Meko A-200 DEU for the German Navy. The first ship in this series could be delivered as early as 2029. The German parliament has created a financial framework of 7.8 billion euros, which would enable the construction of up to eight Meko A-200 DEU. Experts doubt that the approximately 121 metre long Meko A-200, with a displacement of 4000 to 5000 tonnes, will be able to match the combat power of the 166 metre long F126, which is more than twice as heavy. Nevertheless, TKMS expects to be able to provide an alternative: "The Meko A-200 has a comparable capability profile to the F126, with a clear focus on anti-submarine warfare," says TKMS. It would be built by the Heinrich Rönner Group in Bremerhaven. Blohm+Voss would not be involved.
Decision by summer
The Ministry of Defence is expected to decide on the alternatives by the summer. For Blohm+Voss, with its core workforce of more than 400 people, the total loss of the F126 project would be a severe blow. The shipyard has specialised in the finishing of capital ships in recent years, most recently with the construction of five K130 corvettes, and the F126 project was intended to ensure the continued basic capacity utilisation of the facilities. "We are examining all options to accelerate the project in the interests of the public client and the German Navy," writes NVL. Blohm+Voss would play a key role if NVL were to take over the project. NVL is to be sold by the Lürssen family to Rheinmetall in the current first quarter. The antitrust investigations are ongoing. A sale to Rheinmetall and good basic capacity utilisation with the F126 would make Blohm+Voss the most important German centre for naval armaments alongside the TKMS shipyard in Kiel.
State support for shipyards
The federal government provides additional security for major shipyard orders. German shipyards are now receiving guarantees from a federal government programme specifically for large orders. This was announced by the federal government's coordinator for the maritime industry, Christoph Ploß (CDU), during a visit to the Blohm+Voss shipyard. Shipyards often have to pre-finance the construction of ships. According to Christoph Ploß, orders can run into the hundreds of millions or even billions. To make matters worse, there are fewer banks than before the shipping crisis that will lend shipyards money for financing. "If German shipyards cannot finance orders, they will be lost," says Christoph Ploß. The federal government and the federal states involved provide a guarantee of up to 80 per cent. Shipyards can submit an application if they need a guarantee of at least 20 million euros.
Leonie Meyer
Editor News & Panorama
