Germany has cancelled its plans for F126 large frigates and has opted to build eight MEKO A-200 frigates to perform ASW missions for a more feasible timeline.
The German Navy has abandoned its plans for six F126 frigates comparable to destroyers in displacement, in favour of eight MEKO A-200 frigates that can be built faster, thanks to being smaller, as reported by Naval News.
For patrol and ASW missions in the coming decades, the German Navy previously launched the F126 frigates’ construction, which focuses on endurance like the F125 frigates.
However, the authorities concluded that six frigates with displacements in 10000 ton range are not likely to be built on time and there will be cost overruns reaching $18 billion.
This has led to a shift towards something already built for export customers with a tame displacement: MEKO A-200. MEKO A-200 is already in use with Egypt, Singapore, and Algeria. The frigate design with about 4000 tons of displacement has some notable features, including reduced RCS compared to legacy MEKO 200 and CODAG WARP propulsion system employing a water jet alongside propellers for high-speed cruise.
While the equipment is yet to be decided, it is known that German Navy MEKO A-200 frigates will include the towed sonar from Atlas Elektronik originally intended for F126 frigates.
While the focus is on ASW capabilities, MEKO A-200 has a considerable space for air defence and offensive capabilities. The exported ships have either been fitted with 16 to 32 cells for Umkhonto IR point-defence missiles (Algeria and Singapore) or MICA NG medium-range air defence missiles (Egypt). The anti-ship missile load varies between eight (Exocet for Egypt and Singapore) or 16 missiles (RBS-15 Mk3 for Algeria). However, F127 frigates are set to star in the air defence role thanks to 64 VLS cells and the AEGIS combat system.
Author: Kaan Azman
Editor:Özgür Ekşi
