TKMS and VEM Technologies join hands on torpedo production in India

March 11, 2026, by Fatima Bahtić

German company TKMS has signed a teaming agreement with Indian defense firm VEM Technologies to cooperate on the transfer of torpedo technology and the joint development of heavyweight torpedoes in India.

The agreement marks the next step in the strategic partnership between the two companies following the memorandum of understanding signed in September 2025.

Under the deal, the partners will work toward establishing local production of modern heavyweight torpedoes for the Indian Navy while strengthening India’s technological independence and expanding the country’s domestic defense industry.

Michael Ozegowski, Executive Vice President of the ATLAS ELEKTRONIK segment at TKMS, said the agreement represents an important milestone in the companies’ cooperation.

“With this teaming agreement, we are completing the next important milestone in our strategic partnership with VEM and underlining our commitment to the Make-in-India initiative. The transfer of our torpedo technology enables VEM to make a decisive contribution to strengthening the Indian Navy and to India’s technological independence,” Ozegowski stated.

In the first phase, the agreement will provide the basis for the production of a heavyweight torpedo for the existing submarine fleet of the Indian Navy. The cooperation may later expand to include additional torpedo programs.

Over the medium term, the companies plan to establish a joint venture aimed at supplying the Indian market with modern heavyweight torpedoes while also exploring potential export opportunities.

As part of the cooperation, TKMS will support VEM through the transfer of relevant technologies and software licenses required to enable torpedo production at manufacturing facilities in India.

To remind, in September last year, TKMS signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VEM Technologies for cooperation in the area of submarine weapons technologies. At that time, the partners noted that they were exploring further opportunities to expand their cooperation.