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German defence prime Rheinmetall has announced the completed takeover of shipbuilder Lürssen Group’s Naval Vessels Lürssen military business.
The takeover was originally announced in October last year as Rheinmetall moves forward with plans to develop and manufacture modern navy ships, coastguard vessels and maritime autonomous surface systems.
Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) was the military division of Lürssen Group’s Bremen shipyard and all its subsidiaries. It had four shipyards in northern Germany and employs around 2,100 people worldwide.
“In future, Rheinmetall will be a relevant player on land, on water, in the air and in space and is thus developing into a cross-domain system house,” Rheinmetall AG CEO Armin Papperger said.
“In combining the expertise of Rheinmetall and NVL, we will be creating a powerful full-range supplier for state-of-the-art surface vessels.
“This will generate mutual growth and thus secure a strong position for our corporation’s position in the maritime sphere.
“At the same time, we are making a substantial contribution to empower the naval defence capabilities of Germany and its NATO allies.”
Rheinmetall reportedly intends to meet the increased demand from naval forces and rising procurement budgets with high-performance system solutions featuring modern digital infrastructure and coverage of the entire spectrum.
German shipbuilder Lürssen, via NVL Group, had previously won a major contract for the Royal Australian Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel program, known as Project SEA 1180, in November 2017.
That contract involved the construction of 12 Arafura Class offshore patrol vessels to replace the Armidale Class patrol boats.
In June 2025, it was announced that Australian engineering company Civmec would acquire Luerssen Australia for $20 million.
Robert Dougherty
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