Press release issued by Fassmer and Abeking & Rasmussen
The two family-run traditional shipyards Fassmer and Abeking & Rasmussen on the Weser River are pleased to expand their successful cooperation for a planned procurement project of the German Navy. This is the project “MUsE” (Medium Support Unit Floating Units). The further cooperation was officially announced at the world-famous EURONAVAL maritime exhibition in Paris on 5th of November 2024.
The signed partnership is another milestone in the very successful cooperation between the two traditional shipyards. The two shipyards are already supporting each other with the complex multi-purpose vessels for the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport. The first multi-purpose vessel is currently moored at the pier at Fassmer and is being finalised by Abeking & Rasmussen. On its way to Indonesia from the Weser is a 105 m long hydrographic vessel (BHO) for the Indonesian Navy. This is a joint project between the two shipyards.
The close ties and the many similarities are also reflected in the target image of the product portfolio of both companies. With their experience in naval shipbuilding, including minehunting units (A&R) & OPVs (Fassmer), both shipyards have long been a reliable partner of the German and international navies.
With these demanding and very different projects, the cooperation between Fassmer and Abeking & Rasmussen proves that a reliable partner is available here for the coming requirements.
We look forward to continuing our successful cooperation
-End-
Naval News comments:
Talking to Naval News at Euronaval 2024, a Fassmer representative explained that their proposal for MUsE will be based off an adaptation of their MPV120 design.
The German Navy’s fleet includes six Type 404 Elbe-class tenders, commissioned between January 1993 and November 1994, which support submarine, fast attack craft, and mine countermeasures (MCM) squadrons. However, these vessels are showing their age, lack a permanent command facility for Commander Task Group (CTG) staff, and are increasingly outdated for modern operational needs.
The replacement of these tenders is expected to be managed by the Bundesamt für Ausrüstung, Informationstechnik und Nutzung der Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) procurement authority under what was formerly referred to as the ‘Mittlere Unterstützungseinheit schwimmende Einheiten’ (MUsE). However, there is at this stage no publicly available details on the specific requirements of the project, or the intended naming.
As recently reported by Naval News, another German shipbuilder, NVL Group, is pitching its NTV 130 design concept.
