The signing took place at the Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sydney and was attended by Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Director-General for Armaments in the German Federal Ministry of Defence. Vice Admiral Stawitzki highlighted the significance of the partnership, stating, “Collaborations like this one show how international industry partnerships can strengthen national defence capabilities.”
The partnership builds upon a long-standing relationship between the two companies and underscores their shared commitment to sovereign industrial capabilities in naval defence. It aims to leverage Saab’s Australian Combat System (AusCMS), which is already deployed across the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet.
The AusCMS provides enterprise-level interoperability, training, sustainment, and operational advantages, supporting the sovereign capacity of Australia’s defence sector. The collaboration also reflects thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ established model of assisting partner nations in building, maintaining, and upgrading naval vessels locally.
thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has previously delivered ANZAC-class frigates to the Royal Australian Navy and supported similar projects for 16 navies worldwide, including six NATO members. “This MoU with Saab Australia reflects our proven approach to naval shipbuilding and long-term collaboration with trusted partners,” said Dr Oliver Juckenhöfel, Executive Vice President of Operating Unit Surface Vessels at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.
“We are proud to contribute to a robust and sovereign naval capability through a model that has proven successful across multiple navies,” he added. The agreement reaffirms both companies’ strategic alignment in delivering mature, low-risk, and proven solutions to support future naval needs, including those anticipated under the SEA 3000 programme.
