Until now, the Lürssen Group has pursued a dual track: building yachts under the Lürssen brand, while carrying out naval ship projects under the name Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL).
The Bremen-based shipbuilder now intends to focus exclusively on yacht construction. As recently announced, Lürssen will divest NVL, which is to be acquired by defence company Rheinmetall.
According to the Düsseldorf-based group, an agreement has been reached on “the key terms of the acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen”. The parties aim to formally conclude the transaction “shortly”. Subject to approval by the relevant competition authorities, closing is scheduled for early 2026. The purchase price has not been disclosed.
“With this significant strategic acquisition, Rheinmetall is expanding its portfolio to include naval shipbuilding and strengthening its position as a leading provider of defence technology in Germany and Europe,” the company stated. Rheinmetall has previously expressed interest in TKMS, the naval shipbuilding division of the Thyssenkrupp Group.
Lürssen: ‘Necessary and meaningful’
Friedrich Lürßen, Managing Partner of Lürssen Maritime Beteiligungen GmbH, said: “In light of the heightened security situation, we consider consolidation within the defence industry both necessary and meaningful. Only in this way can the rapid defence capability of our country be ensured. With the sale of NVL to Rheinmetall, we are creating the basis for a powerful defence champion with broad system expertise. We are pleased to have found a strong and trustworthy partner in Rheinmetall that can secure a successful future for NVL and its employees.”
His cousin Peter Lürßen, also Managing Partner, added: “The talks over the past few weeks have shown that our companies are a good fit and share similar values. It is important to us to place our naval division, our technological expertise, and above all NVL’s approximately 2,100 employees in reliable hands.”
The transaction covers NVL shipyards in Hamburg, Wilhelmshaven and Wolgast – including Blohm+Voss, Norderwerft, Neue Jadewerft and Peene-Werft. All sites and employees are to be retained and integrated into Rheinmetall as a separate division together with the existing management.
Going forward, the Lürssen Group plans to strengthen its focus on yacht building. With the sale, which is expected to be finalised in the coming weeks, the company says it aims to “send a signal of strength and pave the way for the long-desired consolidation of Germany’s defence industry.”
