Rheinmetall boss Papperger is confident about the Peene shipyard in Wolgast

Rheinmetall boss Armin Papperger is confident about the future of the Peene shipyard in Wolgast, Western Pomerania. “We now have to wait and see what comes after the fleet service boats,” said the chairman of the arms company’s board of directors to the “Ostsee-Zeitung”. He expects a decision on new frigates next year. «And if that's the case, then it will be something. Wolgast will benefit, for sure.”

The end of the billion-dollar F126 frigate project caused uncertainty in Wolgast. The project “would of course have been a great contract for the Peene shipyard,” explained Papperger. It could have created around 200 new jobs, he said. “That’s really a mouthful.”

Fourth new reconnaissance ship is to come

Around three weeks ago there was a ceremonial laying of the keel of the third new fleet service boat in Wolgast, and a fourth new Class 424 reconnaissance ship will soon be added for the German Navy. “This is a great ship,” said Papperger. The 130 meter long ships will be equipped with the latest sensor technology and will be used for electronic reconnaissance and information gathering. Other shipyards in northern Germany are involved in the construction of the fleet service boats.

The armaments company Rheinmetall took over the Peene shipyard together with other locations of the NVL military division of the Bremen Lürssen shipyard group just a few months ago.