The Germans give up the frigat F126. The program proved too expensive

The German Ministry of Defence decided to complete the six frigates type construction program F126 for Deutsche Marine. The reason is serious delays, increases in costs and risks associated with further implementation of this project. In practice, this means the end of one of the most important German ship programs in recent years.

F126 frigates became too expensive

The script we wrote about earlier on our portalJust confirmed. The F126, with delays and rising costs, will not continue. Berlin instead of six large ships wants to buy eight frigates of type MEKO A-200 DEU.

For the German Ministry of Defence, the F126 programme has become one of the hardest ship projects of recent years. Ships of type F126 Niedersachsen, formerly known as Mehrzweckkampfschiffe 180, or MKS180, was to be the largest warships built in the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II.

With displacement of about 10,000 tons and a length of 166 m, these would be destroyers' size structures, although formally classified as frigates. Their main task was to combat submarines, one of the key capabilities needed by Deutsche Marine and NATO.

The contract with the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Support of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) was concluded on June 19, 2020. The order initially included four ships, with an option for another two units, which Berlin later benefited from.

Too late, too expensive, with more and more risk

First frigates F126 They were to enter service from 2028, and the sixth unit was to close the program in 2033. The first four would cost around EUR 4.6 billion and two additional frigates would cost about EUR 2.5 billion. Ultimately, the entire programme was to absorb around EUR 10 billion.

However, this bill began to grow rapidly. In 2025, the German Ministry of Defence analysed the possibility of changing to Naval Vessels Lürssen B.V. & Co. KG (NVL), now part of the group Rheinmetall AG. Problem is that the construction of six frigates F126 the NVL was expected to cost around EUR 15.2 billion.

After counting the work already done, the ordered equipment, supplies and support services, the total cost of the programme could increase to over EUR 18 billion, or about PLN 77.2 billion. For Berlin, this meant the moment when the rescue of the program became harder to defend than its termination.

MEKO A-200 DEU instead of F126

Instead of six large frigates F126 Deutsche Marine to receive eight frigates of type MEKO A-200 DEU. They are intended to provide the German Navy with the capabilities needed primarily to combat submarines and to comply with NATO obligations.

Price of the first four frigates type MEKO A-200 DEU It is expected to amount to approximately EUR 6.3 billion. The option to purchase four more ships could be used by the end of 2026 for approximately EUR 5.3 billion. In practice Berlin therefore chooses a solution less ambitious than F126, but cheaper and easier to carry out.

MEKO A200 frigates are not a project from scratch. The ships of this family already serve in the war jackets of South Africa, Algeria and Egypt. The MEKO A-200 DEU version is to be adapted to the requirements of Deutsche Marine, although no detailed configuration of the German variant's combat system has yet been provided.

Germany converts fleet modernisation

Organisation F126 shows that even Germany has a problem keeping large ship programs within the assumed time and costs. The frigates, which were intended to symbolize the new stage of the modernisation of Deutsche Marine, became an example of the risks associated with increasingly complex and increasingly expensive ship programs.

The biggest loser is Damen Naval as the program's current contractor. NVL/Rheinmetall may have taken over the project, but at costs difficult to accept by the federal government. The biggest win becomes TKMSBecause it is with this producer that Berlin intends to conclude a contract for MEKO A-200 DEU.

However, something else is crucial for the German Navy. The new frigate program ceases to be only a bridge solution and becomes the main axis of modernization of German water forces. Berlin therefore does not add another billion to the largest German warships after World War II, but chooses smaller units that can enter the service more quickly and take over some of the tasks previously foreseen for F126.