The German Navy has ordered two additional F126 frigates from Dutch shipbuilder Damen Naval.
Last week, the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag gave the green light for the procurement of a fifth and sixth vessel.
The Procurement Organisation of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw) and Dutch naval shipbuilder Damen Naval signed the contract for two additional F126 multipurpose frigates on June 19.
The contract bring the total to six vessels.
Damen Naval and project partner NVL Group started the construction of the first frigate with a traditional steel-cutting ceremony in December last year. The ships will be built entirely in Germany at shipyards in Wolgast, Kiel and Hamburg. The steelwork and pre-assembly for the stern will take place at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast, part of the NVL Group.
“With this decision, we will be able to expand the ‘Niedersachsen’ class to six ships. It is the quickest way to expand and modernise the surface fleet of the German Navy. This decision also benefits the German procurement organisation and the involved industry. Having more ships of the same class brings many advantages,” said Roland Briene, Managing Director of Damen Naval.
The construction of the two additional F126 frigates will also take place entirely in Germany.
In the coming months, work will begin in parallel at the German Naval Yards shipyard in Kiel, and at the Blohm+Voss NVL site in Hamburg.
The stern will be built at the Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast, while the foreship will be manufactured in Kiel and joined to the stern there. The vessels are then shipped to Hamburg for final outfitting, commissioning, and testing. Hundreds of suppliers throughout Germany are involved in the project.
In June 2020, BAAINBw awarded the construction contract for the F126 frigates to Damen Naval, together with subcontractors Blohm+Voss and Thales.
With a length of 166 metres and a displacement of up to 10,000 tonnes, the F126 frigates will be the largest in the German naval fleet. According to Damen Naval, the versatile multi-mission platforms can operate all over the world and in all conditions, from the tropics to the polar regions.
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