TKMS
German naval vessel company
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipbuilding |
| Founded | January 5, 2005 |
| Headquarters | , Germany |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
|
| Owner | |
Number of employees | 9,100 (2025) |
| Parent | ThyssenKrupp |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | tkmsgroup |
Composition
The group consists of:
- Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft in Kiel, Germany
- TKMS Wismar in Wismar, Germany
- Atlas Elektronik in Bremen, Germany
- Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Itajaí, Brazil
As of August 30, 2006, the group represented a sales volume of around €2.2 billion and had a workforce of 8,400 people.
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.
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.[8] 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.[9] By October 2024, Carlyle abandoned the negotiations.[10]
In 2024, TKMS and German peer NVL formed a joint venture to primarily build F127 frigates.[11]
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.[12]
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.[13] 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.[14]
In January 2026, TKMS submitted a non-binding bid for smaller competitor German Naval Yards (GNYK).[15]
Current submarine classes sold and in production
Confirmed sales
| Class | Subclass | Order / in production | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dakar class | — | 3 |  Israeli Navy |
|
| Type 214 | Reis class | 4 |  Turkish Navy |
|
| Type 212CD | — | 6 |  Deutsche Marine |
|
| 6 |  Royal Norwegian Navy |
|||
| Type 218 | Invincible class | 2 |  Republic of Singapore Navy |
|
| Total | 21 | |||
Likely sales
| Class | Subclass | Likely sales | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 214 | — | 6 |  Indian Navy |
Class selected in Jan 2025, as part of the Project P-75I, likely to be produced under licence in India.[24] |
| Total | 6 | |||
Planned replacements
Ongoing bids and potential sales in new submarine purchase programmes.
| Class | Subclass | Potential sales | Client | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type 209 | Type 209NG class | 3 |  Argentine Navy |
|
| Type 209 | — | 4 |  Egyptian Navy |
|
| Type 209 | Type 209NG class | 4 |  Hellenic Navy |
|
| Type 212 | Type 212CD class | |||
| Type 212 | U212NFS class | |||
| Type 218 | — | |||
| Type 212 | Type 212CD class | 3 | Deutsche Marine |
|
| Type 212 | U212NFS class | 2 |  Philippine Navy |
|
| Type 212 | Type 212CD class | 12 |  Royal Canadian Navy |
|
| — | — | 2 |  Royal Malaysian Navy |
|
| Dolphin AIP class | — | 2 |  Royal Moroccan Navy |
|
| Type 209 | Type 209-1400 class | |||
| Up to | 32 | |||