The Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) naval shipyard is planning to cooperate with the defense company Saab Australia in the construction of naval vessels.
Both companies signed a letter of intent in Sydney to lay the foundation for further cooperation on the MEKO A-200 frigate program.
The focus is on improving maritime capabilities through “joint innovation and integration”, TKMS announced. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sydney in the presence of Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Director of Armaments at the Federal Ministry of Defense. He emphasized the strategic value of such partnerships: “Collaborations like this show how international industrial partnerships can strengthen national defense capabilities.”
TKMS and Saab Australia are thus continuing a long-standing partnership. The planned collaboration for the frigate program will use Saab’s Australian Combat System (AusCMS), which is already in use on Australian Royal Navy ships. “AusCMS provides enterprise-level interoperability, training, maintenance and operational benefits, contributing to the sovereign capability of the Australian defense industry,” said TKMS.
TKMS relies on proven model
The planned initiative is in line with TKMS’ proven business model of supporting partner countries to build, maintain and modernize naval vessels domestically. The “Meko A-200” program is a continuation of TKMS’ commitment to sovereign partnerships in shipbuilding, following the delivery of the Anzac frigates to the Royal Australian Navy and 16 other projects (six of them for members of NATO).
“This Memorandum of Understanding with Saab Australia reflects our proven approach to naval shipbuilding and long-standing collaboration with trusted partners,” said Oliver Juckenhöfel, Executive Vice President of Operating Unit Surface Vessels at TKMS. “We are proud to contribute to a robust and confident naval force with a model that has proven itself in multiple navies,” he added.
The MoU with Saab Australia underlines the joint strategic vision of both companies to deliver mature, low-risk and proven solutions for future naval requirements, including the SEA 3000 program.
