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Will Deutsche Marine receive additional frigates of type F126?
Author:Mariusz Dasiewicz
On 12 June, the Bundestag Budget Committee paved the way for the approval of the Ministry of Defence's proposal to purchase two additional F126, in accordance with the 2020 contract. Preliminary allocation was EUR 25 million to launch the purchase option. The total cost of building these ships is estimated at over EUR 3 billion.
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The construction of the next two units will be carried out by the Dutch shipyard group Damen Naval, which won the tender and signed an agreement with the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw). The cost of the first four F126 frigates will be approximately EUR 4.6 billion.
The F126 frigates will be larger than the F125 Baden-Württemberg type units, having a displacement of 7,200 tonnes without weapons. At a total displacement of 10,550 tons, a length of 166 metres and a width of 21.7 metres, the crew will count up to 198 sailors. These will be the largest multi-tasking battleships built in Germany after World War II, capable of global operations, including tropical and polar areas. F126, formerly known as "Mehrzweckkampfschiff 180" (Multipurpose Battleship 180), have as one of the main operational tasks the combat of submarines (ZOP).
The construction of the frigate takes place in Germany, in three shipyards. Aft parts will be formed in NVL Peene-Werft in Wolgast, then transported to Kilonia, where German Naval Yards Kiel will connect them to forward parts. The entire superstructure hulls will be transported by sea to the Hamburg-based Blohm+Voss shipyard, where final equipment and shipbuilding trials will take place.
On 3 June, at NVL Group Peene-werft shipyard in Wolgasta, a celebration of the location of the prototype keel of the frigate took place. Niedersachsen, attended by Federal Minister of Defence of Germany, Boris Pistorius. The steel burning process began on 5 December last year. The prototype unit is to be transferred in 2028.
German Parliament conditionally approves the purchase of two additional frigates F126
The Bundestag Committee on Budgets on 12 June opened the purchase of two additional F126 frigates, as the German Deutsche Marine informed on platform X. This decision is intended to increase the number of frigates of this type to six. It is unofficially said that the total cost of building additional units will be around EUR 2.8 billion, with an additional EUR 300 million for services and equipment, which represents a total of EUR 3.1 billion.
German Deutsche Marine initially obtained permission to build four F126 frigates under a contract signed in June 2020. These units are to be delivered to the German fleet between 2028 and 2031. The contract included an option for two additional units whose deadline was tomorrow (19 June). Two additional frigates may join the German Navy after 2031, but only if the Ministry of Defence is able to meet the additional contractual requirements imposed by the budget committee. If negotiations fail, the agreement to purchase two additional units will be void.
German Polish Navy repeatedly stressed its intention to purchase two additional frigates F126. Six units of this type are also part of the structure of the future marine forces "Zielbild Marine 2035+" revealed in March 2023.
Conditions and requirements
The Committee on Budgets added the provisions to the agreement, which could delay the fast purchase. The Ministry of Defence sought an additional EUR 320 million to cover the increased costs of the first four units, justified by the increase in inflation costs by Damen.
Added provisions require the Ministry of Defence to negotiate a "fair balance" in the allocation of additional funding between Damen and German shipyards Blohm+Voss, GNYK and NVL.
Type 126 frigate financing issues
Short time to sign a contract is just one of the problems. The Ministry of Defence must also determine how it will finance additional purchases under its budget. A special budget of EUR 100 billion, approved by the German government after the start of the full-scale war between Russia and Ukraine in 2022, is already allocated to existing commitments. The funds for this purchase will have to come from future annual budgets, which further impedes government negotiations.
The decision to purchase additional frigates is an important step in the context of German defence policy, which has been the subject of intense debates for years. Although all major political parties agree on the need to increase defence funding, Scholza's government maintains its expenditure at a fixed level, with the exception of the one-off "Sondervermögen" fund. Expenditure on new frigates may affect other Bundeswehr purchasing plans, forcing priorities to be set within the available resources.
Such actions show how German Polish Navy seeks to continue expanding its country's maritime influence on a global scale. Investing in a modern fleet and adequate infrastructure is crucial to ensuring the conservation of German resources and interests in the seas around the world. This is an example of a consistent defence policy aimed at strengthening the country's international position.
Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz
