Article Posted on : - May 12, 2011

An illustration of F125 frigate. A ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems photo

HAMBURG (BNS): German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG has officially marked the start of construction of German Navy’s first Type 125 class frigate F125 at its Blohm + Voss facility in Hamburg.

A large number of guests and representatives from politics, defence and industry gathered at the facility on May 9 to mark the start of production for the first 125 Class Frigate (F125) for the German Navy.

The invitation had been extended by the F125 Work Group (ARGE F125) consisting of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG – the client who has entrusted Blohm + Voss Naval GmbH with order completion – and Friedrich Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co.

Reinhard Schütte, Vice-President of the Federal Office of Defence Technology and Procurement, started the ultra-modern laser welding and cutting plant in Shipbuilding Hall 3. This machine will cut the individual plates, the shipbuilder said.

Germany, in 2007, had awarded a contract to the ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems-led ARGE F125 industrial consortium to build four F125 frigates for its Navy.

The multi-mission warships will be designed to carry out a range of roles, including peace-keeping missions, counter-terrorism roles and network-centric operations. They will be able to defend themselves against both conventional as well as asymmetric threats.

The new frigates will replace the F122 Bremen class of frigates.

According to the German Navy, the F125 would be armed with land attack systems and air warfare point-defence equipment but would not be equipped with sonar.

Keel-laying for the first F125 will take place as early as November 2011 and its delivery is planned for 2016, the lead shipbuilder said.

The ARGE F125 consortium targets to deliver all the four frigates to the German Navy by 2018.