BERLIN, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Defence group Rheinmetall

wants to take over German shipbuilder Naval Vessels

Luerssen, the German daily Bild reported on Wednesday, citing

industry sources.

According to Bild, the Luerssen family, who own the

shipbuilder, plan to divest its military shipyards in Hamburg,

Wilhelmshaven and Wolgast to focus on building megayachts.

Rheinmetall's supervisory board intends to consider the

purchase in the coming weeks, Bild said, while citing a person

familiar with the matter as saying any acquisition could still

fall through as the Luerssen family would need to approve it.

When asked about the Bild report, Rheinmetall CEO Armin

Papperger told reporters that the company was always interested

in expanding its product portfolio, without giving further

details.

Papperger said earlier this month that Rheinmetall, which

makes tanks and ammunition, was in talks with partners about

investing in the naval sector.

NVL did not immediately respond to Reuters request for

comment.

Rheinmetall is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Europe's

push to upgrade its defence capabilities following Russia's

invasion of Ukraine.

Separately, Dennis Goege, the European head of U.S. defence

contractor Lockheed Martin ( LMT ), told WirtschaftsWoche that

the company was in discussions to have Rheinmetall manufacture

missiles including ATACMS and Hellfire types at its expanding

Unterluess site in northern Germany.

The two companies said in April that they would expand their

cooperation beyond a memorandum of understanding signed in 2024,

with Lockheed providing missile and rocket technology, and

Rheinmetall manufacturing and selling missiles in Europe.

Goege said that the final list of missiles had yet to be

determined.

Rheinmetall, which this year started making fuselage parts

for Lockheed's F-35 fighter jets, declined to comment on the

report.

Also on Wednesday, Papperger signed a contract to build a

powder factory in Romania, worth around half a billion euros,

following on from Tuesday's announcement that Rheinmetall

planned to produce gunpowder and 155-mm artillery shells in

Bulgaria under two joint venture agreements.