The F126 frigate will probably not be built at the Dutch Damen Naval shipyard. According to media reports, TKMS shipyard will take over the project.
After several months of back and forth, the frigate 126 will probably not be built at the Dutch shipyard Damen Naval, but in Kiel. The TKMS shipyard in Kiel is to take over the construction of new frigates. This is reported by German news outlet Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), among others.
In an article on ndr.info, it says “that a corresponding submission from the BAAINBW procurement office will reach Defense Minister Boris Pistorius this week”. The Bundestag Budget Committee will officially decide on the end in December.
Will the MEKO A200 be used as a design?
According to NDR, everything points to TKMS supplying frigates based on the MEKO A200 type as an interim solution. The Kiel shipyard has already used this design several times, including for frigates for Algeria and Egypt. The procurement of the more modern F126 frigate will continue, but without the involvement of the Dutch shipyard, according to reports.
As HANSA has learned from industry circles, a possible contract award to TKMS is said to be merely an option. Experts believe it is likely that the F126 project will be continued in a new consortium under a different general contractor.
F126 was commissioned in 2020
The contract to build four new Type 126 frigates was awarded to Damen Naval together with Blohm+Voss and Thales in 2020. With a volume of around €5.3 billion, this contract is one of the navy’s largest procurement projects. The ships, initially known as the MKS 180, are intended to replace the ageing Brandenburg-class frigates (F123) and provide the German Navy with highly flexible, modular combat units.
The F126 has a length of around 166 m, a displacement of up to 10,000 tons and a crew of around 114 soldiers. It is designed for a wide range of missions – from anti-submarine and air defence to stabilization operations and maritime security.
Construction of the type ship “Niedersachsen” began at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast at the end of 2023, with the keel being laid a year later in June. Commissioning was originally scheduled for 2028. In June 2024, the Bundestag also approved the option for two more units. This brings the series to a total of six frigates.
Following problems and delays in the course of the project, the Ministry of Defense will probably switch to the MEKO-A200 design and build it at TKMS in Kiel.
