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TKMS AG & Co. KGaA (ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems) is a group and holding company of providers of naval vessels, surface ships and submarines. It was founded when large industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp acquired Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in January 2005.

Composition

The group consists of:

As of August 30, 2006, the group represented a sales volume of around €2.2 billion and had a workforce of 8,400 people.[citation needed]

On the 12th of April 2023, ThyssenKrupp sold its stake on Hellenic Shipyards to George Prokopiou.[1]

History

The corporation opened a branch office in Karachi, Pakistan on 25 July 2007. By January 2009, it had become one of the biggest private shipbuilding companies in Pakistan.[citation needed]

In 2017 the Israeli government and TKMS signed a deal for three Dakar-class submarines. Allegations of corruption surrounding the deal have led to the formation of an Israeli governmental committee of inquiry and subsequent prosecution for corruption.[2]

In 2021, TKMS received the biggest order in its history, worth €5.5 billion for six identical Type 212CD submarines (in partnership with Kongsberg Gruppen) for the German and Norwegian navies.[3][4] In January 2021, ThyssenKrupp confirmed the acquisition of the Oceana shipyard in Itajaí, Brazil, becoming the company’s first shipyard in Latin America, with the objective of building the new Brazilian Tamandaré-class frigates.[5]

In 2023, TKMS signed a memorandum of understanding with India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, with the value of the agreement expected to be about 7 billion euros.[6][7]

Also in 2023, the German government signalled that it was prepared to back a sale of TKMS by taking a supporting minority stake.[4] Since 2024, ThyssenKrupp has been running a dual-track process for TKMS, which could result in either a sale or spin-off of the division. In June 2024, private equity firm Carlyle and German development bank KfW entered into negotiations to jointly acquire a majority stake in TKMS.[8] By October 2024, Carlyle abandoned the negotiations.[9]

In 2024, TKMS and German peer NVL formed a joint venture to primarily build F127 frigates.[10]

In July 2025, the German government reached a preliminary agreement with ThyssenKrupp on getting a right of approval if a stake of 25% or more were to be sold in TKMS following a spin-off; in addition, the government would have a pre-emptive right if ThyssenKrupp were to sell a stake of 5% or more to a third party.[11]

In August 2025, TKMS lost out against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries on a landmark $6.5 billion deal to supply the Royal Australian Navy with new frigates.[12] That same month, it became one of the two finalists, along with Hanwha Ocean, under consideration for a contract to deliver up to twelve submarines to the Royal Canadian Navy.[13]

In January 2026, TKMS submitted a non-binding bid for smaller competitor German Naval Yards (GNYK).[14]

Military ships and submarines sales and production

Ships

Confirmed sales

Design base Class Type of ships Shipyard Order / in production Client Notes
MEKO 200 Al-Aziz class Multipurpose light frigate Alexandria Shipyard, in Egypt

(produced under licence)

1

(3 out of 4 delivered)

 Egyptian Navy The three first frigates of this class were constructed at the Stahlbau Nord Shipyard [de], in Bremerhaven (Germany), and the fitting out took place at the HDW shipyard in Kiel (Germany). The three ships were delivered.[15][16]

The fourth ship is made under licence in Egypt, and the fitting out is ongoing.[17]

MEKO A-100 Tamandaré-class frigate Multipurpose light frigate TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard, in Itajaí (Brazil)

(former Oceana Shipyard)[18]

3

(1 out of 4 delivered)

 Brazilian Navy 4 ordered in Mar 2020, production in a TKMS shipyard in Itajaí (Brazil).[19]
Berlin-class replenishment ship Protecteur-class auxiliary vessel AOR vessel

Auxiliary Oil Replenishment

Seaspan Shipyards, in Vancouver (Canada)

(produced under licence)

1  Royal Canadian Navy 1 already delivered, a second in production. The ships are part of the JSS project.[20]
Total 5

Likely sales

Design base Class Type of ships Shipyard Likely sales Client Notes
MEKO A-400 AMD F127-class frigate Guided-missile frigate (air defence) 8  German Navy Eight frigates are planned to be purchased by the German Navy.[21][22]
MEKO 200 F128 – MEKO A-200 DEU-class frigate Frigate ASW
Anti-submarine warfare
4  German Navy Interim solution to fulfil the ASW role as a stopgap until the entry into service of the delayed F126 Niedersachsen-class frigate. Four frigates are planned.[23][24]
MEKO A100 Tamandaré class Multipurpose light frigate TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul shipyard, in Itajaí (Brazil)

(former Oceana Shipyard)[18]

4  Brazilian Navy 4 additional planned to be purchased as of Apr 2026.[19]
Total 16

Submarines

Confirmed sales

Design base Class Type of ships Shipyard Order / in production Client Notes
Dolphin II-class submarine Cruise-missile and attack submarine TKMS shipyard in Kiel (Germany) 1

(2 out of 3 delivered)

 Israeli Navy The last submarine of the Dolphine II class was launched in Nov 2024.[25]
Dakar-class submarine Cruise-missile and attack submarine TKMS shipyard in Kiel (Germany) 3  Israeli Navy The submarines were ordered in Jan 2022, and the production started in Nov 2024.[26][27]

It is equipped with VLS, and is likely designed to launch nuclear cruise missiles.[28]

Type 212 Type 212CD-class submarine Attack submarine TKMS shipyard in Kiel (Germany)[29]

TKMS Wismar shipyard in the future[30]
(former MV Werften shipyard)

6  German Navy Common orders and contract from Norway and Germany.

German orders:

  • 2 ordered in Aug 2021.[31]
  • 4 ordered in Dec 2024.[32]

Norwegian orders:

  • 4 ordered in Aug 2021.[31]
  • 2 ordered in Dec 2025.[33]
6  Royal Norwegian Navy
Type 214 Reis-class submarine Attack submarine Gölcük Naval Shipyard, in Gölcük (Turkey)

(produced under licence, with packages supplied by TKMS / HDW)

4

(2 out of 6 delivered)

 Turkish Navy The contract for 6 submarines was signed in Jul 2009.[34][35]

The second submarine was handed over in Nov 2025.[36][37]

Type 218 Invincible-class submarine Attack submarine TKMS shipyard in Kiel (Germany)[38] 3

(3 out of 6 delivered)

 Republic of Singapore Navy Orders:
  • 4 ordered in Nov 2013, three delivered, the fourth is ongoing sea trial.[38]
  • 2 ordered in May 2025.[39]
Total 23

Likely sales

Class Subclass Type of ships Shipyard Likely sales Client Notes
Type 214 Project P-75I – phase 2 Attack submarine MDSL shipyard in Mumbai (India)

(to be produced under licence / tech transfer)

6  Indian Navy Class selected in Jan 2025, as part of the Project P-75I, likely to be produced under licence in India.[40]
Total 6

Planned replacements

Ongoing bids and potential sales in new submarine purchase programmes.

Class Subclass Type of ships Potential sales Client Notes
Type 209 Type 209NG-class submarine Attack submarine 3  Argentine Navy In competition with Naval Group to supply submarines to Argentina.[41]
Type 209 Type 209NG-class submarine Attack submarine 4  Egyptian Navy The Egyptian Navy is looking to replace its Romeo-class submarines, and the Type 209 is among the likely competitors.[42][43]
Type 209 Type 209NG-class submarine Attack submarine 4  Hellenic Navy The Hellenic Navy is planning to procure 4 submarines, and one of the German models will be offered.[44]

They will replace the Glafkos-class submarine (Type 209/1100) and Poseidon-class submarine (Type 209/1200).

Type 212 Type 212CD-class submarine
U212NFS-class submarine
Type 218
Type 212 Type 212CD-class submarine Attack submarine 3  German Navy According to the Zielbild Marine 2035+ plan, the German will operate from 6 to 9 Type 212CD-class submarine, therefore up to 3 additional vessels could be ordered..[45]
Type 212 U212NFS class Attack submarine 2  Philippine Navy The U212NFS is made in partnership with Fincantieri.[46][47]
Type 212 Type 212CD-class submarine Attack submarine 6 to 12  Royal Canadian Navy Canada unveiled its plan for the future of its navy, which includes up to 12 submarines. Norway and Germany offered a partnership with the Type 212CD.[48][49] The competitor is Hanwha Ocean.[50]

The Royal Canadian Navy is considering ordering 6 submarines from each supplier.[51]

Attack submarine 2  Royal Malaysian Navy Two planned to be procured between 2031 and 2035, no supplier selected yet.[52]
Dolphin II-class submarine Attack submarine 3  Royal Moroccan Navy In 2025, Morocco expressed an interest to purchase 3 submarines.[53][54][55][56]
Type 209 Type 209-1400 class
Up to 33

References

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  2. ^ ToI Staff. “Israel signs scandal-ridden €3 billion deal with Germany to buy new submarines”. The Times of Israel. ISSN 0040-7909. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  3. ^ Sabine Siebold (23 June 2021), Germany backs 2.7 bln euro contract to buy two Thyssenkrupp submarines – source Reuters.
  4. ^ a b Laura Pitel, Patricia Nilsson and Alexandra Heal (25 October 2025), Carlyle drops bid for Thyssenkrupp defence unit over Berlin indecision Financial Times.
  5. ^ “Estaleiro responsável por construir as fragatas Classe Tamandaré agora é thyssenkrupp Estaleiro Brasil Sul”. Defesa Aérea & Naval (in Portuguese). 12 January 2021.
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  7. ^ Christoph Steitz (6 June 2023), Thyssenkrupp, India’s Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders sign submarine MoU Reuters.
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