The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has awarded the contract for a new transfer ship to the Työvene shipyard in Finland.
The newbuild is based on the SWATH (Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull) design, i.e. a twin-hull design that is particularly resistant to rough seas. The personnel transfer vessel (PTV) will be deployed by the German Navy in the Baltic Sea in the future, with its home port being Neustadt in Holstein.
The 29-metre-long ship can accommodate up to 60 people and will be used for transportation to and from naval vessels operating off the coast. Ship-to-ship transfers at sea are also planned. The SWATH design is intended to provide an “extremely stable platform” for passenger transfers. A special access and transfer system will allow personnel and crew members to board and disembark safely between the transfer vessel and larger naval vessels while underway or at sea.
“This project underlines our ability to deliver highly specialized vessels tailored to demanding operational requirements,” said Nils P. Olschner, Director Sales & Business Development at Työvene. “The SWATH platform offers an extremely stable working environment and is therefore ideally suited for personnel transfer missions. We are proud to support the operational capability of the German Navy.”
The ship is being built at the Työvene shipyard in Uusikaupunki, Finland, located near Turku on the country’s southwestern coast. Following completion of construction, testing and sea trials, the transfer vessel is expected to be delivered in 2026. With this project, Työvene is strengthening its position as a supplier of high-performance aluminum workboats and special vessels for government and naval customers, the shipyard announced. Työvene is part of the Finnish defence and technology company Summa Defence and specializes in the development and construction of aluminium vessels for professional use. Among other things, it supplies patrol boats, work boats, ferries and special ships.
