The first ships for military use were built back in ancient times. Today, naval shipbuilding accounts for around a third of German shipbuilding turnover.
The trireme, which was widespread in the Mediterranean in ancient times, is considered the first type of ship in maritime history to be designed specifically for war. The three distinctive rows of oars and the bronze ramming spur on the bow bear witness to this. Around 170 oarsmen gave the approximately 35 metre long ship the necessary speed of up to ten knots for ramming attacks on enemy units. A two-row predecessor type served as the blueprint for the warship. What both had in common was that they were based on the design and construction plans of merchant ships.
This did not change fundamentally in the following centuries. Combat-capable and armed ships became an effective instrument of power to protect and enforce the political, economic and expansionist interests of states. They were used for the maritime defence of territories and as troop transports in campaigns of conquest. Until modern times, the sailing ships that later dominated the seas could hardly be distinguished from a shipbuilding point of view as to whether they were used to transport goods or were equipped with cannons.
In the course of the 19th century, the demarcation in purpose was followed by a clear design and constructional split between civilian and military shipbuilding. This was driven by new propulsion technologies and weapon systems. Initially, the steam engine made it possible to dispense with sails. In the middle of the century before last, the first armoured warships were built and their successors were then made entirely of steel. In terms of construction, engineers and designers adapted the ship system to the use of newly developed weapons, including explosive grenades, torpedoes, mines and large-calibre guns. The striking design of warships was soon characterised by high turret superstructures, huge naval artillery and grey paint.
German shipbuilders, like their colleagues elsewhere in the world, added the military component to their expertise. Especially as it became clear over time that a fleet of grey ships includes not only combat vessels such as cruisers, frigates, torpedo boats and submarines, but also transport ships, supply vessels and workboats. The special requirements for the construction and equipment of naval vessels qualify this sector as a lucrative business area with high added value. As construction contracts are awarded by the state, this implies a certain degree of security against volatile market influences in civil shipbuilding. However, it is also this circumstance that makes the order situation dependent on a country's budget, geopolitical objectives and security-related issues and therefore also causes considerable fluctuations in this area over longer periods of time.
In 1848, the National Assembly in Frankfurt am Main decided to build an imperial fleet in order to protect German merchant ships and defend the country at sea against Denmark, which was a war enemy at the time. However, the lack of necessary funding and a changed political situation following the end of the German-Danish War led to the sale of all the ships in the imperial fleet just five years later.
At the end of the 19th century, however, the winds of change in naval shipbuilding in the German Empire freshened under Kaiser Wilhelm II and caused the order books of the shipyards on the North and Baltic Seas to rustle loudly. The monarch ordered a rapid expansion of the Imperial Navy. Large numbers of torpedo boats and submarines were built, along with ocean-going capital ships, battlecruisers, armoured cruisers and other combat vessels. By the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the Imperial Navy had become the world's second strongest armada behind the Royal Navy.
In the wake of this upgrade, research and development in ship design, maritime propulsion technology and the operational and safety equipment of the ships accelerated. The shipyards transferred new innovations from civilian shipping to naval shipbuilding. At the beginning of the last century, for example, the marine diesel engine was first used on a merchant ship in Germany before the naval command was convinced by the new propulsion technology.
With the increasing complexity and range of applications of ship operating systems, the share of the maritime supply industry in value creation has also increased. Its products range from propulsion engines to navigation and communication technology to rescue systems. In addition, it is not only in Germany that the military itself has always positioned itself as the spiritus rector of the development of new technologies. Government money is used to set up corresponding programmes and finance research projects.
Groundbreaking results such as the GPS positioning system have also become an integral part of civil shipping. The transfer of knowledge and technology is currently focussing in particular on the area of cybersecurity. Autonomous shipping, digital fleet management and computerised guided weapons require a high degree of data security and reliability.
The shipbuilding industry has always been faced with the question of what and how much capacity to maintain for military purposes. Decades of extensive investment were often followed by lean periods in which either the budget was tight or the security situation meant that there were hardly any requirements. Numerous shipyards ruled out involvement in the grey sector. In the GDR, the Peene shipyard in Wolgast was primarily involved in the construction of new naval vessels. Light torpedo speedboats, minesweepers and minesweepers, submarine hunters and landing craft were built there for the People's Navy, but also for the Soviet naval fleet.
After the Second World War, almost all well-known shipbuilding companies in West Germany between Kiel, Hamburg and Bremen were involved in naval shipbuilding. Due to insolvencies and an ongoing process of concentration in the industry, capacities are now limited to a few shipyard groups such as Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the Lürssen Group and German Naval Yards. Their product portfolio includes submarines, frigates, corvettes, patrol boats, combat boats, mine countermeasures units and supply and support vessels.
German shipbuilding has come under considerable pressure over the past three decades. A gigantic, state-supported increase in shipyard capacity, particularly in South Korea, China and Vietnam, has resulted in orders from European shipowners migrating to Asia in almost all segments. According to the German Shipbuilding and Ocean Industries Association (VSM), the shipyard industry in the European Union, Norway and the United Kingdom only accounted for one per cent of the global order volume in 2021. Specialised shipbuilding offers German shipyards the opportunity to remain competitive. For strategic reasons, the expertise for the construction of cruise ships, research and multi-purpose vessels through to megayachts and even newbuildings for the German Navy should be retained. In its 2021/22 annual report, the VSM puts the share of German naval shipbuilding in the total turnover of the shipyards at around one third and also emphasises that this division "also secures and develops expertise for civilian applications".
The drastic change in the global political situation caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has led to an abrupt departure from the austerity programme in the German armed forces that has been pursued without hesitation for years. A good fifth of the 100 billion euros in special funds for the German Armed Forces agreed last year is allocated to the German Navy and is partly incorporated into procurement programmes that have already been agreed. For example, the new construction of four frigates 126, five corvettes 130, two submarines of the 212CD class as well as two fuel supply vessels and three fleet service boats have been set in motion for the coming years. As up to 70 per cent of German naval shipbuilding capacity is utilised by export orders, there is a short-term need for additional capacity for new construction and repairs. When TKMS and the federal government took over the shipyards in Wismar and Warnemünde, which had become insolvent during the Covid pandemic, military shipbuilding suddenly became the custodian of industrial structures for civilian shipbuilding and its suppliers. A role reversal in a historical look back at the industry in antiquity.
Thomas Schwandt is a freelance business journalist and author specialising in the maritime economy.
Thomas Schwandt
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