Rohde & Schwarz to provide communications, radar electronic support for German Navy’s Sachsen-class frigates

Rohde & Schwarz has been commissioned to supply and integrate systems for communications and radar electronic support measures (C-ESM/R-ESM) for the German Navy’s F124 Sachsen-class frigates.

Following approval by the Budget Committee of the German Bundestag, the contract was signed on October 18 in Koblenz with the German Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use (BAAINBw) of the German Armed Forces.

The support measures represent integrated and constantly evolving detection and analysis systems for emissions, such as communication and radar, with extended capabilities for electromagnetic support and countermeasures.

R&S KORA 40 will be installed on three F124 frigates, as well as on three land systems. The system will enable crews to detect, identify, track, and analyze both complex and wideband radar emissions, as well as communications signals. 

R&S KORA 40 also provides the ship’s command with a comprehensive situational awareness picture, covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum with high sensitivity and long range, in near real-time, according to the company.

The system is complemented by a component for electromagnetic countermeasures (R-ECM) for self-protection. 

R&S KORA replaces the previous electronic warfare systems and is intended to serve until the expected end of the service life of these frigates or their replacement by a successor class.

The systems and components are manufactured at the Rohde & Schwarz factories in Bavaria, as well as at the expanding Maritime Competence Center North in Kiel/Hamburg.

“The German Armed Forces rely on R&S KORA, a … commercially available family of systems concept, to effectively leverage synergies. Following the F125 class frigates and the recently expanded F126 class frigates, now increased to six units, as well as a boat class as a key capability carrier, the important air defense frigates of the F124 class are now also benefiting from this approach,” Alexander Philipp, Managing Director, Rohde & Schwarz Vertriebs-GmbH explained.

As part of the procurement, the Navy also receives the necessary training and reference equipment. The integration into the ships themselves will be carried out through additional shipbuilding contracts.