Gabler Group
German submarine-systems maker since 1962 that built the Ranger, a torpedo-tube-launched autonomous surface vessel, with partner FLANQ.
GABLER (operating under Gabler Group AG) is a German naval defense technology company headquartered in Lubeck at Niels-Bohr-Ring 5a. It was founded in 1962 by Prof. Ulrich Gabler, a submarine designer who established Gabler Maschinenbau to build components for diesel-electric submarines. The company installed its first hoistable mast on a Type 205-class submarine in 1964 and has since become a long-standing supplier of mast systems, submarine power and control components, and communication buoys, having delivered more than 900 masts by 2020 to navies operating conventional and nuclear submarines. GABLER states it now serves more than 23 navies across NATO and allied nations, and it established a subsidiary, Gabler Korea, in 2024 to support regional customers. The Possehl Group acquired Gabler in 2013, and Gabler Group AG became listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in March 2026.
In January 2026 the company launched a new Subsea Drives division, extending its mechanical engineering expertise from submarine masts into underwater drive systems. Most notably, GABLER partnered with German autonomy software company FLANQ to develop the Ranger, a 4.5-metre torpedo-tube-launched uncrewed surface vessel (TTL USV) designed to be fired from a standard 21-inch submarine torpedo tube, autonomously surface, and conduct covert intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. The Ranger features a folding keel and sensor mast, an electric drivetrain, and a mission-configurable payload bay. In July 2026, GABLER and FLANQ announced they had completed sea acceptance testing of the Ranger, describing the trials as validating the platform's ability to launch, surface, and operate from a submerged host submarine. A one-way-attack derivative of the platform, named Strike, is planned. Within the joint effort, GABLER is responsible for commercialization, delivery to naval customers, and integration with host submarine platforms, drawing on its decades of submarine systems manufacturing experience, while FLANQ contributes autonomous maritime navigation software and AI-enabled mission autonomy. Felix David serves as GABLER's TTL USV Project Lead. The Ranger program positions GABLER, historically a supplier of passive submarine components such as masts and buoys, as a manufacturer and system integrator of an active unmanned naval platform, extending its business beyond legacy submarine equipment into autonomous surface vessel production for naval customers seeking submarine-launched reconnaissance and strike capabilities.
Primary type & automation activities this supplier delivers:
Ranger
ISR-configured uncrewed surface vessel from Gabler's Tactical Gateways line that extends naval surveillance and reconnaissance reach.
Raider
Single-use uncrewed surface vessel from Gabler designed to deliver decisive strike capability at sea.
Relay
Expendable, one-time-use communications buoy from Gabler that enables rapid secure signalling from subsea to surface.
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Contact Gabler Group
WEBSITE
https://gabler-naval.com/PHONE
+49-451-3109-0HEADQUARTERS
Germany
Company Facts
Founded
1962
Primary Role
Manufacturer
Company Size
-
Primary Region
Europe
Annual Sales
-
Funding Stage
Public
Funding Total
-
