The third of a total of four 125 class frigates for the German Navy was laid down on June 4 at the Hamburg site of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, a company of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions.
The keel laying ceremony, attended by representatives from politics, defense and industry, marks an important milestone in the construction of the ship.
The first of the 125 class frigates was christened “Baden-Württemberg” in December 2013 and was undocked as planned in spring 2014. Delivery to the German Navy is scheduled for November 2016. The other frigates are being built one after the other, with the last of the four ships due for delivery in 2019. The contract is worth around two billion euros in total.
ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems heads the ARGE F125 consortium – which also includes Fr. Lürssen Werft – that was awarded the contract to build four F125 class ships for the German Navy in 2007. The pre-fitted bow sections are being manufactured at the Fr. Lürssen Werft in Bremen and Wolgast. Construction of the stern sections, the joining of the two sections and further fitting out is being carried out at Blohm+Voss Shipyards in Hamburg.
The four 125 class frigates will replace the German Navy’s eight 122 Bremen class frigates. The ships were developed specially for current and future mission scenarios. In addition to the traditional tasks of national and alliance defense, the 125 class frigates are designed for conflict prevention, crisis management as well as international intervention and stabilization missions. The ships are capable of remaining at sea for 24 months and will be the first to implement the intensive use principle, i.e. significantly enhanced availability in the area of operation. This capability is supported by a reduced crew size and a two-crew strategy under which the crew can be swapped out on location.
[mappress] Press Release, June 10, 2014; Image: ThyssenKrupp