Blohm+Voss starts production of surface vessels

Following its takeover by the Rheinmetall Group, the Hamburg-based shipyard Blohm+Voss is entering a new business field in the area of unmanned surface systems. In cooperation with a British partner, hundreds of high-speed drones are to be produced each year in future. The project promises to create numerous new jobs and marks the entry into maritime autonomy, while at the same time raising questions about future export strategies.

The long-established Hamburg shipyard Blohm+Voss is planning to enter the production of unmanned surface drones. Test runs with prototypes measuring around 8 metres in length are already taking place on the shipyard premises. These compact boats can reach speeds of around 90 kilometres per hour. The systems are currently controlled via a remote control joystick, which can be operated either from land or from another ship.

The deployment scenarios for these units are diverse and primarily include surveillance operations. According to Tim Wagner, head of the Marinewerftengruppe-NVL, which recently became part of the Rheinmetall Group, the boats can also be equipped with weapon systems. This is based on current developments in the war in Ukraine, where similar unconventional systems are already being used successfully.

400 new jobs in Hamburg

Blohm+Voss is collaborating with the British company Kraken Technology to realise the project. In the initial phase, production of around 200 units per year is planned. Shipyard boss Nils Moser sees this cooperation as an opportunity to open up Hamburg as a location for a completely new technology sector. If there is sufficient demand, production can be expanded massively.

With three shifts, capacity could be increased to up to 1,000 boats per year. Such an expansion would also have a positive impact on the local labour market, as it is estimated that up to 400 new jobs could be created. For Hamburg as a business location, this development represents a technological upswing in a growing market segment.

Parallel to current production, technological development is being driven forward. A special test vehicle from the Rheinmetall Group is being used to research fully autonomous drones. Despite this progress, the company sees no contradiction with its existing business with manned naval vessels. Tim Wagner predicts that large combat ships will continue to be operated with crews for at least another 20 to 30 years, as the areas of application for small drones differ significantly from those of the manned fleet.

However, there are also critical voices accompanying the project. The development of machines and artificial intelligence that can carry out potentially lethal missions is considered ethically sensitive. Professor Michael Brzoska, a peace researcher at the University of Hamburg, recognises the need for increased armament commitment for the German Armed Forces, but warns against a more aggressive export strategy by the industry.

Autonomy as the end of the classic navy?

Rheinmetall has already confirmed the interest of international customers in the new systems. In addition to the German Armed Forces, countries such as Brunei and Egypt are also showing interest in the unmanned boats. Critics are therefore calling for a closer examination of the arms industry’s involvement in this area, as the social significance of defence technologies has increased, but the export issue remains fraught with tension.

Blohm+Voss’s entry into the series production of surface drones marks a significant turning point for the maritime drone industry. The transformation of a traditional shipyard into a production centre for unmanned systems shows that the scaling of drone technologies is now also reaching the maritime sector on an industrial scale. In addition, the development of autonomous test vehicles underscores the trend toward complete system autonomy, which will have a significant impact on sensor and software integration requirements in the coming years.

Blohm+Voss online: https://nvl.de/de/werften-und-docks/blohmvoss

Photo: Felix Matthies, Copyright: NVL