The shipyard landscape in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has long been characterised by ups and downs. Investors came, investors went. This year, everything is different.
With the Russian attack on Ukraine, Germany, the Bundeswehr and especially the German Navy were faced with a new security situation. By issuing the order "Everything out that floats!", the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack, sent a clear message. Meanwhile, the Naval Command, together with the Naval Support Command and the Naval Arsenal, analysed the fleet's ability to hold out in all eventualities. The result shows an urgent need for action. The suspension of international obligations with simultaneous participation in permanent NATO task forces merely postpones the maintenance phases. This increases the risk of unavailability of maintenance capacities for the navy.
The material maintenance plan is the most important instrument in the maintenance of ships and boats. In the past, shipyard lay times often degenerated into a lottery. It was postponed because there was no shipyard capacity, subcontractors were unable to attend or spare and replacement parts were not available. Another hurdle was dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and its effects. All of this was at the expense of operational availability. The number of additional repair days for the fleet is likely to be in the four-digit range. Will the lament about delayed shipyard layovers and a lack of operational availability due to further delays and then considerably longer shipyard stays be sung again?
MV Werften filed for insolvency immediately after the start of the war in Ukraine. Insolvencies in this branch of industry had already occurred several times in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and so the daily press only reported on them in passing. In the Ministry of Defence, however, the situation was seen as a serious opportunity. And so, in close consultation with the naval command, an economic feasibility study was carried out, the requirements derived and subsequently subjected to a comprehensive preliminary investigation. The results were presented to Minister Christine Lambrecht in a round table discussion. A short time later, a purchase offer was submitted to the insolvency administrator and the deal was approved by the Bundestag.
What you see is what you get
What does the Bundeswehr get for 87 million euros? The Bundeswehr is taking over the MV Werften in a fully functional condition. The Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support is planning to convert it into a naval arsenal at the Rostock site with over 400 posts, the majority of which will be non-managerial staff. The Bundeswehr is thus significantly expanding its already strong position as an employer in the Hanseatic city. This means a considerable gain for the Warnow region. In terms of infrastructure, the site to be taken over will be equipped with all the necessary equipment to build up the fastest possible capability and to take account of the prioritised refocusing on national and alliance defence. The aim is to guarantee 66 per cent operational availability of naval ships and boats on a permanent basis and to maintain its own resilient maintenance capacities. The aim is to reduce dependency on industry in the areas of shipbuilding and marine engineering to 25 per cent in future. This is a significant development of flexible, safe and in-house maintenance capacities for the German Navy.
It is certain that the start will not be without frictional losses, but the takeover of MV Werften in Rostock is perceived positively by large sections of the German Navy and the majority of the public.
Naval Arsenal Warnowwerft Rostock
- 685,000 m2 shipyard site
- 9 production halls with 85,000 m2
- Building dock for floating units (320 x 54 x 10.7 m), 80 m of which are covered
- Docking of two ships possible
- Crane capacity up to 600 tonnes
Photos: Bw/MFG 5
Daniel Angres
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