The Bundestag’s budget committee has given the green light for the procurement of two additional F126 class frigates for the German Navy. The armament project has a volume of three billion euros, it was announced at the committee’s meeting on Wednesday.
Navy Inspector Jan Christian Kaack thanked for the decision, which will increase the number of these combat ships to six: “Reinforcement for our navy!” he wrote. And: “A total of six combat ships that can assert themselves in the long term in the hunt for submarines in the North Atlantic, the protection of sea routes and critical maritime infrastructure.”
In December, construction of the first F126 class frigate began at Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL) in Wolgast. The German army is planning to build ships that will be “fully capable of three-dimensional naval warfare worldwide”. This means that targets can be attacked underwater, on the water and in the air. Maritime surveillance, enforcing embargoes, supporting special forces and evacuation operations are cited as the most important tasks. Four frigates have already been financed, and an option for two more ships is now being exercised.
“Today we have decided on the largest procurement to date for 2024,” said FDP budget officer Karsten Klein. He explained: “The new ships will serve to ensure freedom of sea routes throughout the Atlantic and other coastal seas in Europe. At this point, the quantity of the fleet is important, with which we will not only meet one of our NATO requirements, but also strengthen the Bundeswehr as a whole.”
