NVL is now officially part of Rheinmetall. After the antitrust authorities gave the green light, the Düsseldorf-based armaments group Rheinmetall has completed the takeover of NVL.
Following the announcement in September 2025 and the signing of the purchase agreement in October 2025, the Group says it has received all antitrust approvals for the acquisition of Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL B.V. & Co. KG, Bremen-Vegesack) and all of its subsidiaries. The transfer will take place on March 1, 2026, and both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
With this significant strategic acquisition, Rheinmetall is creating a “German system house for the development and production of state-of-the-art naval vessels and coast guard boats as well as autonomous maritime surface systems”. Rheinmetall is thus further expanding its portfolio in the maritime domain and manifesting its position as a comprehensive supplier of defense technology in Germany and Europe, according to a press release on the occasion of the takeover.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG, is pleased with the successful conclusion of the transaction. When announcing the plans, he explained: “In the future, Rheinmetall will be a relevant player on land, at sea, in the air and in space, thus developing into a cross-domain systems house. By combining Rheinmetall and NVL competencies, we are creating a powerful full-service provider for state-of-the-art surface vessels. In this way, we are generating joint growth and enabling a strong positioning of our Group in the maritime domain. At the same time, we are making a substantial contribution to strengthening the maritime defense capabilities of Germany and NATO partner nations.”
According to Rheinmetall, the current conflict situation shows that military assertiveness is also becoming increasingly important in the maritime sector. According to the company, Rheinmetall intends to meet the massively increasing requirements of the naval forces and the rising procurement budgets with high-performance system solutions that have a state-of-the-art digital infrastructure and cover the entire spectrum – from the platform and electronics to the sensors and effectors.
