Egyptian Navy Receives Third MEKO A-200 EN Frigate from Thyssenkrupp

Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems handed over the frigate "AL-QADEER" to the Navy of the Arab Republic of Egypt on December 15 in Bremerhaven.

This marks the third vessel in a series of four MEKO A-200 EN frigates commissioned by Egypt.

The ceremony was attended by high-ranking representatives from the Egyptian and German Navy. Oliver Burkhard, CEO of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, emphasized the timely delivery of "AL-QADEER," completed six months after the handover of the second frigate, "AL-QAHHAR." He also noted the official conclusion of ship construction in Germany, with the fourth frigate set to be completed at Alexandria Shipyard in collaboration with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems.

Construction milestones for "AL-QADEER" included steel cutting in autumn 2020, keel laying in March 2021, launching in April 2022, and naming in October 2022. The frigate is scheduled to sail to Alexandria, Egypt, in the coming days.

Vice Admiral Ashraf Ibrahim Atwa, Commander in Chief of the Egyptian Navy, highlighted the expeditious receipt of the three MEKO A-200 frigates, "AL-AZIZ," "AL-QAHHAR," and "AL-QADEER," within a span of 14 months.

At the Egyptian Defense Exhibition EDEX 2023 in Cairo, the launch of the fourth frigate, "AL-JABBAR," was announced. The vessel is currently under construction at Alexandria Shipyard and is expected to be delivered in October 2025.

The collaboration between the Arab Republic of Egypt and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems began in 2018 when Egypt commissioned the construction of four identical ships. While the first three units were built in Germany, the fourth frigate is undergoing construction at Alexandria Shipyard in Egypt.

The Egyptian Navy also launched the ENS Al-Jabbar, its fourth MEKO A-200 EN frigate, at the Alexandria Shipyard. This marks the final Al-Aziz-class frigate to be delivered by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems under a $2.7-billion contract with the Egyptian government.

Crewed by 120 personnel, the vessel has the capacity to accommodate 50 special forces operatives for crucial missions. With dimensions of 121 meters (397 feet) in length and 16.3 meters (53 feet) in width, it has a displacement of 3,700 tons. The Aziz-class frigate can reach speeds of 29 knots (33 miles/53 kilometers per hour) and has a range of 7,200 nautical miles (8,300 miles/13,357 kilometers) at 16 knots (18 miles/29 kilometers per hour). Its armaments include a rapid-fire OTO 127/64 light-weight gun assembly, 16 Exocet anti-ship missiles, two torpedo launchers, and 2 Mauser BK-27 27mm guns. Navigation capabilities are supported by a towed-array sonar and a Thales NS-110 4D AESA radar.