The construction of the first F126 class frigate, F126 for short, for the German Navy was officially started yesterday in Wolgast. Following the successful completion of the development phase, the construction phase of the ships is now beginning. Initially, four frigates will be procured with an option for two further units. The project has a volume in the mid single-digit billion range.
The corresponding construction contract was concluded in June 2020 between the Bundeswehr Procurement Office and the general contractor, Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding. The first ship is expected to be delivered to the Bundeswehr handed over in 2028.
Flotilla Admiral Czerwinski, Head of the Sea Department at the Procurement Office, was on site as a representative of the authority. He emphasized the importance of the new frigates for the German Navy: “The F126 project was set up as a procurement project with close and intensive cooperation on site between the client and contractor. I am delighted that this cooperative approach with extensive official project support on site has so far enabled us to overcome all the challenges that have arisen together and to start construction of the F126 on time.” The F126s will be capable of global deployment across the entire intensity spectrum for three-dimensional naval warfare. The concept refers to the ability to engage targets under water, on the water and in the air. The most important tasks include maritime surveillance, enforcing embargoes, supporting special forces and evacuation operations. The use of mission modules is a novelty for the German Navy. The ships will receive standardized equipment and personnel packages that can be adapted to the specific mission scenario. https://militaeraktuell.at/ohne-sicherheit-ist-alles-nichts/ The frigates will be built 100 percent in Germany. Shipbuilding will be divided between Wolgast, Kiel and Hamburg. In this way, Germany will retain and secure important key maritime technologies in surface shipbuilding.
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