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thyssenkrupp Marine Systems has announced the delivery of the fourth and final F125 Class frigate to the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), built alongside the NVL Group as part of the ARGE F125 consortium.
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The ship was received by Matthias Rohde, head of the Acceptance Commission and Marc Steffens, project manager at the BAAINBw during a ceremony in Hamburg, with thyssenkrupp Marine Systems programme manager Patrick Buggenthin representing the company.
“We have now delivered all of the type F125 ships. The other three vessels are already in the in-service phase and have since proven their technical capabilities and reliability. We are convinced that the fourth vessel, the 'RHEINLAND-PFALZ', will also be successful,” Dr Rolf Wirtz, chief executive of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and representative of ARGE, said.
“We wish the ship and crew ‘fair winds and following seas’. Full operational readiness of all ships for the German Navy remains our most important goal. On behalf of all employees, I would like to express my gratitude for the trust placed in us. At the same time, I would like to thank all our industry partners for their support and for what has been achieved.
“In our view, the innovative and highly complex ships of this class make an important contribution to a navy equipped for the future. We look forward to continuing the good co-operation with the German Navy.”
Already, both the consortium and the BAAINBw have partnered to execute a comprehensive support contract to ensure that the frigates are ready for operational service. The ARGE F125 is made up of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and NVL Group (formerly Lürssen Defence), with the pre-fitted bow section produced at NVL Group’s Bremen and Wolgast sites and further construction taking part at NVL Group’s Hamburg shipyard.
According to thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, the newly fitted F125 has some 28,000 sensors to enable advanced automation and reduce the maintenance burden on crew. It is expected that the frigate would be able to stay in their theatre of operations for up to two years.
Able to engage targets on land, air and sea, the F125 is designed to undertake defence operations, conflict prevention, crisis management and stabilisation operations.
The completion of the contract marks a significant milestone for the ARGE F125 consortium and Bundeswehr, having initially entered into the contract for the construction of the frigates in 2007. Some 90 per cent of systems on the F125 were specially developed for the ship’s operational taskings.
[Related: Israel places order for three Dakar Class subs from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems]
