Rheinmetall and MSC to acquire Romania’s Mangalia shipyard

German defense company Rheinmetall and Swiss shipping firm MSC intend to acquire the Mangalia shipyard in Romania for approximately €138 million. The deal, expected to close within weeks, follows a successful auction bid.

The partnership aims to establish a dual-use production facility capable of simultaneous civil and military shipbuilding for both domestic and international markets. To facilitate this, the site will be divided into specialized sectors and security zones.

For Rheinmetall Naval Systems, the shipyard will be critical in constructing four vessels commissioned by the Romanian government: two 96-meter offshore patrol vessels and two 43-meter diver support vessels. The facility is also intended to serve as a strategic hub for future military shipbuilding projects in South-Eastern Europe. Tim Wagner, head of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division, stated that the companies plan to comprehensively expand and modernize the infrastructure to meet future capacity requirements.