Rheinmetall’s new Naval Systems division – formerly Naval Vessels Lürssen – aims to significantly shorten the construction time of the German F126 frigates as the new prime contractor.
By Lars Hoffmann / Hartpunkt
“We want to further accelerate the manufacturing process and, together with the customer, streamline the acceptance procedures considerably – while fully guaranteeing operational readiness,” a Rheinmetall spokesperson told hartpunkt in response to an inquiry. The company is examining “the best possible options,” such as a concentrated and consolidated acceptance of the weapons and operational systems.
Rheinmetall and the German Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) plan to transfer responsibility as general contractor for the frigate project from the Dutch DAMEN shipyard to Rheinmetall. The project had been delayed by several years because, among other things, software problems prevented the design plans from being transferred from the Netherlands to the German shipyards in the required quality.
According to the Rheinemetall spokesperson, the design data for the Dutch DAMEN yacht has been successfully transferred into their own system. This closes the interface between design and manufacturing. “The data has been successfully transferred and is already accelerating the production ramp-up in the shipyard halls.” The spokesperson left open the question of whether further design work on the yacht is necessary.
“Our shared goal is to transfer a pre-equipped prototype ship to our Hamburg site for final outfitting, commissioning and testing as early as the beginning of 2028.” According to Rheinmetall, if the acceptance processes can be streamlined, delivery of the first ship in 2031 would be feasible.
Before Rheinmetall Naval can proceed, however, it would need to become the prime contractor for the project. Following successful completion of the due diligence process, the company expects to step into the F126 contract as prime contractor within a few weeks, the spokesperson stated. Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger had said a few days ago during a conference call with analysts that he hoped to reach a final decision on the F126 within the next two or three months so that Rheinmetall could book the contract.
Previously, it was suggested that the change of leadership for the F126 project could take place next month. However, a spokesperson for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) told hartpunkt that the evaluation phase ends at the end of April. “By then, the potential contractor must indicate whether they can meet the future contract terms. This will then be formalized in the contract.” The public will be informed as soon as a final decision has been reached.
The BAAINBw spokesperson confirmed that, following the planned change of the general contractor, the agency, together with the new contractor, “intends to coordinate within an acceleration and optimization phase what measures need to be taken to enable the fastest possible delivery without endangering the safety of our soldiers.”
Currently, the Ministry of Defense is pursuing a two-pronged approach to obtain new frigates as quickly as possible. At the beginning of February, the naval shipbuilder TKMS and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) signed a preliminary agreement for the MEKO A-200 DEU class frigate procurement project. TKMS stated that the preliminary agreement aims to enable the delivery of the first ship by the end of 2029 and to initiate key preparatory measures. The company stated that the signing of the preliminary agreement marks the official start of the MEKO A-200 DEU project. However, this does not yet constitute an official construction contract; that decision is still pending. According to the information provided, the preliminary agreement initially covers procurement and work with a volume of up to €50 million until the end of March.
To continue work on the MEKO ships beyond March, the first “Amendment to the Preliminary Agreement to Secure the MEKO A-200 DEU Timeline and Further Partial Lifting of the Qualified Spending Freeze in the 2026 Budget of the Special Fund” is to be discussed next week in the Defense and Budget Committee. Additional funds totaling €240 million will be made available for this purpose.
Bastian Ernst, a member of the Defense Committee and the CDU/CSU parliamentary group’s rapporteur for the Navy, welcomes Rheinmetall Naval’s plans for the accelerated delivery of the F126 frigates. Now, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) must also contribute to ensuring the ships are certified quickly, says Ernst. Should the MEKO frigates be delivered as early as 2029, Germany would be fulfilling NATO requirements, the CDU politician added.
This article by Lars Hoffman was originally published in German language at Hartpunkt.de. It has been translated and republished with authorization.
