German Navy Inducts First Baden-Württemberg Class Frigate

The German Navy has commissioned its first F-125 Baden-Württemberg-class frigate, on Monday.

“The German Navy’s first Baden-Württemberg-class frigate has entered service,” according to Christian Thiels, Editor-in-chief, German Armed Forces Media.

The automated frigate has been commissioned eight years after Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) was selected as prime contractor for the delivery of four 7000-ton frigates. 

The frigates are designed and constructed by ARGE F125, a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen to replace the eight Bremen-class frigates currently in service with the German Navy. This class of frigates is touted to have the highest displacement among the frigates worldwide.

According to TKMS, the second ship in the class, the Nordrhein-Westfalen, will be ready for delivery this year. The final two ships are planned to be delivered within the next 2 years.

Two quadruple missile launchers for the Boeing RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile are installed on the missile deck forward of the funnel. The Harpoon missiles are armed with a 227kg warhead and use active radar homing. The missiles have a high subsonic speed (Mach 0.9) and a range of up to 130km.

The F125 has two 21-cell MK49 launchers armed with the Raytheon RIM-116 rolling airframe missile (RAM). The RAM point defence missile is a lightweight, infrared-homing, surface-to-air missile for deployment against incoming anti-ship cruise missiles.

The forward launcher is installed immediately forward of the bridge and the aft launcher is installed on the roof of the helicopter hangar just forward of the helicopter deck.