• Modernization of submarines to ensure technological superiority in national and alliance defense

• Contract spans a total volume of more than € 800 million and a term of ten years

• TKMS as a reliable partner of the German Navy

TKMS has signed one of the largest service contracts in the company’s history with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). The official signing of the contract took place today in Koblenz. As prime contractor, TKMS will provide comprehensive modernization and support services for the six German Type 212A submarines. The order spans a total volume of more than € 800 million and will have a term of ten years.

The contract provides for the modernization of core systems on board the boats, in particular the navigation system and the command and weapons control system on the four older boats of the first batch. The objective is to secure the technological superiority of the German submarine fleet over the long term, in order to meet future challenges in national and alliance defense in a targeted manner.

“This important service contract also strengthens our established and trusting cooperation with the German Navy in the area of maintenance,” emphasizes Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS. “As a maritime powerhouse, we will utilize the full range of services offered by TKMS and contribute to the high operational availability and performance of the German submarine fleet with our many years of expertise.”

Reliable partner of the German Navy

TKMS is a key industrial partner at the side of the German Navy. In the field of logistic support, the company offers a comprehensive range of services, from maintenance and repair to modernization and product-specific material logistics, thus making an important and long-term contribution to the technical readiness of the German submarine fleet. As a prime contractor in submarine construction, TKMS bundles the innovative strength of numerous small and medium-sized companies and thus also makes a significant contribution to industrial value creation in Germany.

TKMS is one of the world’s leading suppliers of conventional submarines. The latest orders in the underwater sector include four more 212CD submarines for Germany and two more 218SG submarines for Singapore. As of May 2025, TKMS order backlog stood at a record level of € 18 billion and will ensure production capacity utilization and employment well into the 2040s. The service contract that has now been concluded also contributes to the further increase in the order book and prolongs the generally positive market situation.

• Today, on June 4, TKMS is celebrating the launch of the new brand at its Kiel site with thousands of employees and invited guests

• TKMS brings together all its business units under the claim “Your Maritime Powerhouse”

• Introduction of the new brand is another important milestone towards becoming a separate company

thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, one of the world’s leading enterprises in the naval industry, is celebrating the start of a new phase in the company’s development with the launch of a new brand. From now on, it will operate under the new brand name TKMS and the new claim “Your Maritime Powerhouse”. The new name and the new brand represent an important milestone along the path to the independent positioning of TKMS.

On June 4, 2025, TKMS is celebrating the introduction of the new brand with a major event in Kiel: Thousands of employees and guests will experience the brand launch live on site and online worldwide. Later in the evening, a drone, light and laser show will immerse the event on the Kiel Fjord in the company’s new colors. The rebranding of the TKMS locations will take place in stages: initially at the main locations in Kiel and Bremen, then at the other facilities in Germany and abroad. The companies of the TKMS Group will be renamed accordingly under the new umbrella brand.

Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS, declared: “Our new brand identity helps us to be perceived even more strongly as an independent company, in line with our plans to be listed on the stock exchange later this year. The abbreviation TKMS, used extensively thus far, is now a separate brand that combines our tradition, our present and our future. It is bold and stands for technological excellence, precision and clarity. All in line with our claim ‘Your Maritime Powerhouse’.

TKMS clearly symbolizes the One Company philosophy: As an integrated systems house, we are the only German naval company to unite all maritime fields under one roof. Not only do we have a long tradition of technical excellence, we also have a very pleasing track record – not least due to the numerous orders we have received in recent months. This spurs us on and we will continue to strengthen our leading role.”

The future brand identity of TKMS
The short, concise name of the TKMS brand stands for itself. In this way, an internally and externally established abbreviation has now become an independent company name and brand profile. The new color spectrum is derived from the colors of submarines (black, anthracite), surface vessels (gray) the rank insignia of naval uniforms and steel production (yellow). This makes the new TKMS brand identity very different from the previous blue color scheme, which is also widely used in the maritime defense industry.

A new brand architecture also supports the company’s consistent repositioning in terms of communication and ensures a clear structure: The operating units – surface vessels and submarines, the electronics and software solutions of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK and the civilian division NXTGEN – are therefore subordinated to the TKMS umbrella brand in the sense of a common brand identity. “It is sound and opportune that we increasingly speak with one voice to our customers and business partners and are visually perceived as a strong unified entity. Of course, this also applies especially to our employees,” explained Oliver Burkhard.

TKMS is consistently pursuing its positioning as a separate company. This is to be completed by the end of the year as part of a spin-off of a minority stake in TKMS to the shareholders of tkAG. The company is on its way to independence with a very well-filled order book: Following the order for four additional Type212CD submarines for the Federal Republic of Germany, the award of the contract for the construction of the new ‘Polarstern’ for the Alfred Wegener Institute and the recent signing of a contract for the follow-up order of two submarines for Singapore, the order book has now risen to around €18 billion.

About us
TKMS is one of the world’s leading naval companies with more than 8,000 employees at three shipyards in Kiel, Wismar and Itajaí (Brazil), and with locations worldwide. The company is active as a systems supplier for submarines and naval surface vessels as well as for maritime electronics and security technologies. Around 3,300 employees work at the Kiel site, making it the largest shipyard location in Germany. 185 years of history and the constant striving for improvement allow the company to set new standards time and time again. TKMS offers its customers worldwide tailored solutions to meet the highly complex challenges of a changing world. The driving forces behind this innovative energy are the company’s employees, who shape the future of TKMS with passion and commitment every day.

thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KONGSBERG) have entered a cooperation agreement aimed at fostering further close industrial collaboration to support the defence requirements of Norway, Germany and other allied countries. The agreement primarily serves to strengthen the relationship of trust between the two partners and to further promote technological cooperation in the future.

In 2024, the Norwegian Ministry of Defence selected Germany as one of four countries for discussions about a potential strategic partnership for deliveries of new frigates to replace the Royal Norwegian Navy’s current Fridtjof Nansen-class.

“We have worked together with KONGSBERG for many years, which reflects the strong relationship between Germany and Norway, built over years of cooperation as close allies and friends,” said Oliver Burkhard, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. “This agreement brings together a number of areas in which our companies are already collaborating and further enhances our ability to deliver advanced defence capabilities for current and future Norwegian and German armed forces.”

Through industrial cooperation and a partnership approach, the two companies can provide a foundation for job creation, technology transfer and investment to benefit national and international markets.

“KONGSBERG and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems already have a substantial cooperation related to submarines. This new agreement enables us to build on the successful partnerships between the two companies and between our two nations’ industries. It further strengthens our ability to offer advanced maritime capability to the Norwegian and German defence forces,” said Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Under the terms of this specific agreement, the two companies will seek to explore long-term cooperation in existing and future joint programs across all military domains. These may include the Vanguard vessel system, a strategic partnership for through-life support for the new frigates, strike missiles, maritime surveillance and targeting and ship system deliveries to both nations’ frigates and additional naval ships.