German shipbuilder TKMS says it remains on track to deliver the first MEKO A-200 DEU frigate in 2029 after Germany cancelled the delayed and over-budget F126 programme, while reaffirming plans to buy eight new warships.
NATO has launched the BALTOPS naval exercise in the Baltic Sea, involving more than 6,000 personnel, 30 vessels and 15 countries. The drills focus on protecting maritime traffic, freedom of navigation and regional security.
Germany plans to send a minehunter to the Mediterranean ahead of a possible mission in the Strait of Hormuz. The move supports efforts to secure shipping routes after tensions disrupted global trade.
A German reconnaissance unit has arrived in Greenland as part of a Danish-led mission to examine NATO’s ability to defend the Arctic. The deployment brings together European partners to assess logistics, surveillance, and possible military contributions amid growing geopolitical tensions over the region.
Rheinmetall and MBDA Germany plan to set up a joint venture in early 2026 to develop naval laser weapon systems. The move follows joint trials of a laser demonstrator tested at sea and is aimed at providing drone defence capabilities for the German Navy.
The German Navy has taken delivery of its first NH90 Sea Tiger helicopter, with a total of 31 Sea Tigers planned to replaced the Sea Lynx fleet. The NH90 is equipped with sonar systems and can deploy torpedoes and anti-ship missiles.
Germany has introduced its first Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, the largest combat aircraft in Bundeswehr service, which replaces the P-3C Orion fleet and will be stationed at Nordholz air base for surveillance and anti-submarine operations across the strategically vital GIUK gap in the North Atlantic. Germany will operate eight Poseidons by 2028, with crews training alongside NATO partners including the US, UK, Norway and Australia.
The Ukraine war and expanding global conflict showered a windfall on German arms companies like Rheinmetall and TKMS, with some startups like Helsing becoming the upstarts of the weapons industry, and other legacy companies like Heckler & Koch even experiencing a dramatic reversal of fortunes.
At the end of the 2023/2024 financial year, the order backlog stood at €11.7 billion, but the figure has now risen to €18 billion after significant orders from Germany and Singapore.
Nazis, spies, the cold war and the arms trade: The story of how a decorated ex-Nazi officer and arms dealer sold fighter aircraft to India and Pakistan, both under an arms embargo after the 1965 war.
A squadron of four ships is on an extensive tour of ports in the Arabian Sea, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The ships will also conduct major exercises with Russia, the UK and France.
