"We are proud that we once again are able to make an important contribution to optimise the capabilities of the German Navy," said Jörg Herwig, Managing Director of GERMAN NAVAL YARDS KIEL. Ralf Griesbaum, Managing Director of ZEPPELIN MOBILE SYSTEME (ZMS), said: "After winning the contract for the feasibility study together in 2016, we are now looking forward to the joint implementation at the shipyard."
“This order shows once again how closely shipbuilding cooperates with the maritime supply industry in Germany to develop and implement technical innovations for the Bundeswehr”, Herwig said. "This proximity and ability to cooperate is the strength of German naval surface shipbuilding and leads to new, innovative ideas".
The iMERZ is a complete hospital consisting of a hospital ward, two operating rooms, an X-ray room, a dental technology department and various laboratories. Until 2015, a container-based rescue center was installed on the "Frankfurt am Main". This was destroyed by a fire in 2015. The new iMERZ is to be integrated into "Frankfurt am Main" in Kiel in spring 2020.
The Bundeswehr has been a customer of GNYK for many years. The combat support vessel "Frankfurt am Main" was most recently involved in the repair of a rear-end damage at the Kiel shipyard in the summer of 2017. In summer 2020, GNYK will start the work for the new corvettes of the K 130 class. These will be built together in a joint venture with Bremer Lürssen shipyard and ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. GNYK is also the last remaining German general contractor in the competition for the construction of the multi-purpose warship 180 (MKS 180) for the Bundeswehr.
GNYK has a first-class infrastructure and the necessary experience to build technologically highly complex naval vessels. The shipyard is also able to build and repair several large ships at the same time. A functioning shipyard infrastructure on the Baltic Sea is of particular importance in terms of security policy for NATO operations or exercises.