Israel Opens First Submarine Structural Component Facility under Elbit–TKMS Cooperation

Israel has inaugurated its first facility for manufacturing underwater structural components for submarines, established by Elbit Systems in cooperation with Germany’s Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

The new production line will manufacture underwater components made of Glass Reinforced Polyester (GRP) for submarines. This is the first time such submarine structural components will be produced in Israel.

The initiative forms part of TKMS’s industrial cooperation activities under offset procurement commitments in Israel. Under the industrial agreement between the companies, new production facilities will be established and technologies developed based on TKMS’s technical expertise.

The agreement enables Elbit Cyclone to broaden its product portfolio, enter new international markets, and establish domestic expertise in advanced underwater component manufacturing. The companies said such components have not previously been manufactured in Israel.

Ze’ev Landau, Head of the Directorate of Production and Procurement at the Israeli Ministry of Defense, said, “The establishment of the facility as part of industrial offset procurement constitutes part of the Ministry of Defense’s strategy to expand the defense manufacturing base as part of the lessons of the war and will assist in strengthening the IDF, promoting Israeli industries, and developing the economy.”

The plant is located in a national priority area in northern Israel and is expected in its initial phase to employ dozens of workers. The project is intended to integrate manufacturing, innovation, and defense production within a single facility.