High-tech solutions from an underwater perspective

With more than 120 years’ experience in the fields of underwater acoustics, sensors and information technology, TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, a segment of the TKMS Group, is a popular supplier to many navies as well as civilian customers. The portfolio of services ranges from sonar systems, command and control systems, and communication equipment for surface ships and submarines to heavyweight torpedoes, mine countermeasure weapons and hydrographic survey systems.

The term multi-domain operations (MDO) refers to a modern military concept in which armed forces integrate and synchronise their operations across land, air and sea.

Credits: TKMS

The origins of TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK date back to the founding of Norddeutsche Maschinen- und Armaturenfabrik in 1902, from which the engineering offices for underwater and acoustic technology emerged just three years later, with a focus on research and development in the field of underwater acoustics. The first innovations that catapulted the Bremen-based company in the market were the Atlas-Echolot, which was indispensable for the South Atlantic survey carried out by the German research vessel Meteor from 1925 to 1927, as well as an underwater bell developed in collaboration with a partner in the United States.

“Because the Allied powers demanded the complete demilitarisation of the German war economy following the Second World War, staff at the time were called upon to diversify their activities and usher in a new era,” explains Michael Ozegowski, Executive Vice President of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK. As a result, the company began focusing on the manufacture of echo sounders for the fishing industry and the development of medical ultrasound and industrial ultrasonic products in 1945. From the 1960s, the company gradually returned to the defence sector and secured contracts for the fire control computer for the Leopard tank as well as training simulators for the Type 206 submarine. The success of the company, which has been a fully owned subsidiary of TKMS since 2025, is primarily down to its sonar expertise in the underwater and surface domains and its know-how in integrated command and weapon deployment systems.

Defence expertise as a basis for civilian projects

“We at TKMS view ourselves as a system supplier and maritime powerhouse. We not only build submarines and ships but can also fit them with sensors and effectors for maritime defence – thanks in large part to the expertise of ATLAS ELEKTRONIK – and provide our customers with the corresponding full-service support,” says Ozegowski. This would not be possible without TKMS’s 9,100+ employees, including around 2,800 in the ATLAS ELEKTRONIK segment, of whom around 80 per cent are engineers, technicians and specialists. As naval officers, many of these experts also have a strong technical background. “Their defence expertise is, of course, a key benefit including for civilian projects – for example, when it comes to supporting the construction of offshore wind farms or simplifying installation of underwater cables,” says the manager. He mentions the company’s own SeaCat product, an autonomous underwater vehicle that can dive to depths of up to 600 metres in order to determine the composition of the sea floor, for example. “Nonetheless, we have a clear focus on defence,” emphasises Ozegowski.

That is also reflected in some of the most recent successful projects. For example, TKMS and ATLAS ELEKTRONIK celebrated their largest torpedo contract in company history in December 2025 – for supplying the Bundeswehr with many DM2A5 heavyweight torpedoes, including the corresponding equipment for Type 212CD submarines. And in February of this year, the company provided the German navy with the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) demonstrator in collaboration with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). The project, which goes by the name BlueWhale, combines reconnaissance, sensor technology and data fusion in a single system that can identify targets above and below the surface of the water, gather acoustic information and locate sea mines.

A submarine is travelling on the surface in rough seas; high waves and spray dominate the scene beneath a grey sky.

TKMS and TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK not only build submarines and ships but also fit them with sensors and effectors for maritime defence.

A healthy order book

“We have a healthy order book,” adds Ozegowski. “At the moment, TKMS is focused on completing orders valued at more than 18 billion euros.” Despite his economic optimism, he cannot help but worry about the current state of the world. “Our orders are largely insulated from short-term developments or potential conflicts,” he emphasises. “That’s because our customers generally plan over the long term and don’t order a submarine with all its equipment for the day after tomorrow.” Accordingly, the Bremen-based company’s planning extends well into the future. The to-do list for the coming years includes, in particular, the accelerated integration of AI, an increase in autonomous vehicles to complement the manned units, and a focus on so-called multi-domain operations. “The latter addresses the requirement to better connect command systems above and below the surface of water with land and air units,” says Ozegowski. He cannot reveal any more than that, as discretion about sensitive information and technical details is the done thing in this sector. (bre)

“We view ourselves as a system supplier and maritime powerhouse.”

Michael Ozegowski, Executive Vice President of TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK

Facts

TKMS ATLAS ELEKTRONIK

Established: 1902, as Norddeutsche Maschinen- und Armaturenfabrik
Affiliation: A fully owned subsidiary and segment of TKMS since 2025
Employees: 2,800, including more than 2,000 in Germany
Range of services: Sensors, systems for signal processing, sonar and command systems, effectors, navigation systems, torpedoes, sea mines, autonomous surface ships and submarines, hydrographic survey systems, services

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