Egyptian Navy Accepts First German-made MEKO 200 Frigate

Germany’s thyssenkrupp Marine Systems handed over the first-of-class MEKO A-200 EN to the Egyptian Navy.

A total of four ships were ordered, with the first three units produced in Germany and the fourth vessel built by Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt. At today’s ceremony in Bremerhaven, the frigate “AL-AZIZ” was accepted by the Egyptian Navy after only 38 months of the contract becoming effective.

Besides the handover ceremony, the celebrations included the naming of a second MEKO A-200 EN frigate for the Egyptian Navy. The Chief of Staff of the Egyptian Navy, Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, named the warship ”AL-QADEER”.

After short but intensive negotiations that started in May 2018, the contract for the four frigates was signed in September 2018, with the project work formally starting in August 2019. First steel cutting was already in September 2019 and the launching of the first-of-class took place in April 2021. In July 2021 “AL-AZIZ” was named, and then finally today she was handed over.

The four ships ordered by the Arab Republic of Egypt are identical in construction. “AL-AZIZ” will start the journey to its homeport in Alexandria in a few days.