Changes media identifier to reflect bid; rewrites lead paragraph to focus on the bid and add context; adds bullet points, details and background from paragraph 2.

By Miranda Murray and Matthias Inverardi

BERLIN/DUESSELDORF, May 7 (Reuters) - German defence group Rheinmetall RHMG.DE has entered the race to buy shipyard German Naval Yards Kiel with a non-binding bid , a move that would deepen its push into naval defence and pitting it against rival warship maker Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS).

Rheinmetall disclosed the bid as it released its first‑quarter results on Thursday but did not disclose its value.

TKMS, which had submitted a non-binding offer for GNYK in January, was not immediately available for comment.

GNYK is part of the family-owned CMN Naval group, a French shipbuilder active in naval and yacht construction, and employs around 400 people directly.

EXPANDING NAVAL FOOTPRINT

The bid underlines Rheinmetall’s efforts to expand its naval footprint after its recent acquisition of German warship maker NVL, now reported under the Naval Systems division.

CEO Armin Papperger said he expects stronger growth in the second quarter, driven by large-volume orders in the naval and vehicles business.

"With the successful acquisition of Naval Systems, we have entered a new market segment where we are also generating profitable growth," Papperger said.

On Monday, Rheinmetall said it missed analysts' first-quarter revenue expectations in a pre-release but confirmed it expected stronger sales growth for the year, citing an expected second-quarter upswing from production at its Spanish site and a planned delivery to the German army.

It added on Thursday its outlook was supported by the integration of the Naval Systems segment, which includes existing projects worth 5.5 billion euros ($6.5 billion).

($1 = 0.8500 euros)