The F-127 program is meant to provide the German Navy with new and far more capable Anti-Air Warfare warships which will bring anti-ballistic missile capabilities to the table. The ships are to be built by TKMS and Naval Vessels Luerssen (NVL), which have established a joint venture for this purpose, with TKMS holding the majority stake. The industrial side is undergoing some upheaval considering that TKMS is in the process of being spun off from its parent company, Thyssenkrupp, while as of this month, Rheinmetall has announced that negotiations are underway for the acquisition of NVL.

The F-127 warship design will be based on the MEKO A-400 AMD design put forward by TKMS and will have Lockheed Martin’s AEGIS combat system at their core. German press sources report that the main sensor has been selected, with Raytheon’s SPY-6 preferred over Lockheed Martin’s own SPY-7. This would follow the lines of the US Navy’s own DDG51 Flight III configuration; Japan has selected the SPY-7 for its ASEV air defence destroyers instead.

The F-127 project initially aimed for 5 units to replace the 3 current F-124 AAW frigates (SACHSEN class) by the mid-2030s (first ship due 2034), but now German press sources suggest the massive, €26-billion project is targeting 8 vessels.

The MEKO 400 AMD as showcased at the end of 2024 is a 10,000 tonnes ship with a length of 160 metres and beam of 21 metres with a draft of 5.5 metres. The warship has been displayed with 2 Mk 41 VLS clusters, one on the forecastle on the bow, one amidships, including 32 cells each (for a total of 64). Close range defence is ensured by 2 RAM 21-cell launchers and 2 directed-energy laser weapon (DELW) mountings, plus 2 Rheinmetall MLG 27 and 4 12.7 mm remotely controlled machine guns. The ship has a twin hangar for NH-90 helicopters and a crew of 150 with extra room for 70 more. Changes are still possible from what was displayed in CGI and model form, however.

For the F-126 ASW frigate, some German press sources say cancellation has already been decided, but in absence of official news, prudence is advised. The delayed and troubled program is certainly headed for a substantial shakeup, however, with Dutch Prime Contractor Damen in the spotlight. Damen could lose responsibility for the ASW frigate programme in favour of NVL, with MEKO 200 frigates acquired either as a stopgap or as a complete replacement for the planned F-126 due to how delayed their development is.

The F-126 programme (NIEDERCSACHSEN class) started at 4 ships in 2020, but grew to 6 in 2024 with the option being activated. The Dutch firm Damen is in charge of the design, but the build has always been planned to happen in German yards: the stern is due to be built at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast; the fore part at German Naval Yards Kiel GmbH with Blohm+Voss Hamburg integrating sensors and effectors and doing the final assembly. Build of the first vessel began at Peene on 3 June 2024 with delivery due in mid-2028, with 3 more ships following by 2032, but despite the start of steel work, the design is not yet mature and shipyards are operating at reduced capacity. Timeframes, which are a key requirement, are stretching with big delays expected and that’s the main reason why Germany is reassessing the programme.

The F-126 design, still not complete, is for 167 meters, 10,000 tons ship with a beam of circa 21 meters. Each ship will have 16 MK41 VLS cells for ESSM missiles for its local area air defence.

Follow us on Telegram, Facebook and X.