TKMS and Saab deepen cooperation to work on Australia’s next-gen frigate program

German thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Saab Australia to explore opportunities for collaboration on the MEKO A-200 frigate platform.

The MoU was formalized at the Consulate-General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Sydney in the presence of Vice Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, Director-General for Armaments in the German Federal Ministry of Defense, who emphasized the strategic value of such partnerships.

“Collaborations like this one show how international industry partnerships can strengthen national defence capabilities,” Stawitzki noted.

This partnership builds on a long-lasting working relationship between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Saab Australia, and reinforces both companies’ commitment to providing sovereign industrial capability in naval defence. The companies will focus on enhancing naval capabilities through joint innovation and integration.

Specifically, this collaboration will leverage Saab’s Australian combat system (AusCMS) already in service across the Royal Australian Navy’s surface fleet.

The AusCMS provides enterprise-level interoperability, training, and operational benefits, contributing to the sovereign capability of Australia’s defense industry, according to the partners.

“This MoU with Saab Australia reflects our proven approach to naval shipbuilding and longterm 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.

To remind, in November 2024, TKMS was down-selected to progress designs for Australia’s future general-purpose frigates. The Meko A-200 will replace the Anzac-class frigates and will be equipped for undersea warfare and local air defense in order to secure maritime trade routes and our northern approaches.

The first three general-purpose frigates will be built offshore.