Rheinmetall agrees terms on acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen

Rheinmetall has agreed key terms with the Lürssen Group on the acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL): the military division of the long-established Bremen shipyard, along with all its subsidiaries, the company announced on 15 September 2025.

Subject to approval by the relevant anti-trust authorities, the acquisition is intended to be completed in early 2026. The purchase price of NLV has not been disclosed.

Headquartered in Bremen-Vegesack, NVL is a privately owned group that has 13 docks across four shipyards: new-build activities are centred at Peene-Werft in Wolgast and Blohm+Voss in Hamburg, while Norderwerft in Hamburg and Neue Jadewerft in Wilhelmshaven are dedicated to naval repairs, refits and modernisations.

NLV employs around 2,100 people worldwide, generated sales of around EUR 1 billion in the 2024 financial year and is considered a pioneer in the research and development of autonomous maritime surface systems. Formerly known as Lürssen Defence, NVL was separated from the yacht division in 2021 and continued as an independent company within the family-run Lürssen Group. NVL supports the German and other international naval fleet throughout their life cycle.

While Rheinmetall already offers a selected range of modern system components for naval applications and is a leading global supplier of simulation solutions and naval protection systems, the acquisition of NVL will expand its portfolio into naval shipbuilding and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of defence technology in Germany and Europe.

“In future we will be a relevant player on land, on water, in the air and in space,” Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger was quoted as saying in a company press release. “Rheinmetall is thus developing into a cross-domain system house.

“With the newly agreed acquisition, we are taking a decisive step forward in consolidating the defence industry in Germany and Europe,” Papperger added. “Combined with Rheinmetall’s expertise, we are creating a vital German powerhouse for state-of-the-art vessels. The combined capabilities of Rheinmetall and NVL will generate mutual growth and thus strengthen our corporation’s position in the naval sphere. At the same time we are making a substantial contribution to strengthening the naval defence capabilities of Germany and its NATO allies.”

Friedrich Lürßen, managing partner of Lürssen Maritime Beteiligungen, was quoted as saying, “‘We are delighted to have found a trustworthy and strong partner in Rheinmetall, which can secure a successful future for NVL and its employees.”

Rheinmetall stated that its rationale for the NVL acquisition is that the current military-geopolitical climate means that military enforcement capabilities are becoming increasingly important in the naval sector, with rising procurement budgets behind that demand.

Rheinmetall also expects to derive an advantage from the expansion of its production capacities and the extension of the corporation’s industrial base in northern Germany. Synergy effects are expected, particularly regarding the vehicle production by Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems division, which operates sites in Kiel and Flensburg, among other locations, based on shared material and technology expertise.

NVL’s shipyards offer the opportunity to utilise existing heavy infrastructure, employee expertise and equipment capabilities to strengthen Vehicle Systems production and create capacity reserves for the future in the automotive sector. This will enable Rheinmetall to minimise excessive infrastructure investments or extensive conversions of other production lines.