Changes in German Shipbuilding
The people who brought us the Bismark and the Collins-class submarine and Anzac-class frigate designs are re-structuring their business.
A major restructuring of the German naval shipbuilding industry was announced earlier this year that arose from the merger of ThyssenKrupp AG, the giant German industrial conglomerate, and Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW).
B+V and HDW have been major players in the Australian naval shipbuilding
As a consequence of the merger, ThyssenKrupp AG, has formed the largest naval shipbuilding group in Europe, ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG (TKMS), which encompasses:
? Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft GmbH (HDW), of Keil;
? Blohm + Voss GmbH, Hamburg;
? Blohm + Voss Repair GmbH, Hamburg;
? Nordseewerke GmbH, Emden;
? HDW-Nobiskrug GmbH, Rendsburg;
? Kockums AB, Sweden; and,
? Hellenic Shipyards SA, Greece.
ThyssenKrupp's vision for TKMS is to expand its role as a worldwide technology leader in warship, submarine and non-naval design and construction. The TKMS Headquarters in Hamburg provides broad corporate management, centralised procurement, financial control and marketing for three divisions.
The Submarine Division based in Kiel brings together the submarine expertise and technology of HDW and Kockums to create the strongest designer and builder of conventional submarines and air independent propulsion systems in the world.
The Surface Vessel Division based in Hamburg combines the surface ship design and construction capabilities of Blohm+Voss, Nordseewerke, Nobiskrug, Kockums and Hellenic Shipyards. The Division's focus is on high technology warships, including the widely adopted MEKO technology, merchant ships and mega yachts.
The Surface Vessel Division has expressed a high degree of confidence in its ability and capacity to meet the design, construction and delivery requirements of global navies for destroyers and offshore patrol vessels. According to a company spokesman that confidence is based on its broad destroyer design portfolio with its innovative Delta Hull configurations, its experience in modem combat system integration - both US and European sourced - and the latest advances in ship construction.
B+V's long experience in Australia has provided an unexpected bonus - the company has specified an Australian-made radar, the CEA-FAR, and a derivative of the Saab 9LV combat management system produced by Saab Systems Australia for the RAN's ANZAC Class frigates, for its new-generation MEKO D frigate family.
The Repair Group, also based at Blohm+Voss in Hamburg, is responsible for ship and submarine repair and maintenance work performed at all the shipyards within the group.
Each Division is managed by its own Executive Board, the chairmen of which form the TKMS Executive Board under the chairmanship of Dr Klaus Borgschulte, who is also a member of the Executive Board of ThyssenKrupp Technologies AG. These arrangements provide a totally integrated top level management structure throughout TKMS and between TKMS and its parent company.
The existing companies, in particular Blohm+Voss, HDW and Kockums, continue to manage the individual shipyards and support existing contracts and customer linkages.
TKMS remains committed to building on the demonstrated success of Blohm+Voss in delivering high levels of Australian Industry Involvement, technology transfer and in-country support capabilities through the ANZAC Ship Project. To ensure that the design of the ANZAC ships can be effectively supported in Australia throughout its life, Blohm+Voss established a subsidiary engineering services company, Australian Marine Technologies (AMT), in Melbourne.
In addition to supporting Blohm & Voss Assets Pty Limited in its role as the ANZAC design authority and providing capability enhancement design services to the ANZAC Alliance, AMT is a key subcontractor to Tenix for principal design work involved in the new RAN tanker under Project SEA 1654 Phase 2A.
Having acquired Kockums, HDW within the Submarine Division of TKMS says it is now in a position to provide greatly enhanced support to Defence in enhancement of the Collins Class submarines, as well as future submarine projects. TKMS is at the forefront of conventional submarine design and construction, including air independent propulsion systems based on both Fuel Cell and Stirling Engine technology.
HDW and Kockums have a long history of design and construction of submarines for parent navy and export customers. The TKMS Submarine Division say they are proud to inherit HDWs reputation for innovation, reliability and maintaining excellent in-service working relationships with its customers.
By Daniel Cotterill, Canberra