DÜSSELDORF (dpa-AFX) - According to a press report, the defense companies Rheinmetall and Hensoldt are among those interested in Thyssenkrupp's naval division. Rheinmetall and the shipyard group Lürssen from Bremen are among the bidders, Hensoldt among the interested parties, reported the "Handelsblatt" ("HB"/Wednesday), citing circles familiar with the matter. The German government has now also officially expressed its interest in becoming a junior partner.

Thyssenkrupp no longer considers the Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) division to be part of its core business and has been looking for a buyer for years. TKMS builds conventional submarines. According to the report, parts of the German government are pushing for a decision on TKMS to be made before the new elections in February. However, there is no unanimous opinion on this in the federal government./men/tih