Today, at the Peene-Werft shipyard in Wolgast, the first steel cutting for the third and final Type 424 SIGINT (signals intelligence) vessel in the series officially took place in the presence of representatives from the Bundeswehr (the German Armed Forces).
Rheinmetall press release
The steel cutting took place much earlier than planned. Once commissioned, the intelligence vessel will be used jointly by the German Navy and the Cyber and Information Domain Service (CIR).
“Beginning the steel cutting early means that all ships of this class are now under construction. This is far more than just a technical milestone—it is a strategic signal. In the current geopolitical security environment, which is changing faster than ever before, we, as an industrial partner, are doing our part to accelerate strengthening defence capabilities. Speed is now a security-relevant factor—and this is exactly what we are focussing on,” said Tim Wagner, CEO of Rheinmetall’s Naval Systems division.
The approximately 130-metre-long Class 424 intelligence vessels will serve the German Armed Forces as reconnaissance platforms for maritime-based intelligence gathering and are equipped with state-of-the-art sensor technology. Their design meets the latest military requirements for future-proof naval ships.
The total of three new vessels will eventually replace the units of the OSTE class.
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Naval News comments:
Contract for the design and construction of three new SIGINT (signal intelligence) ships was first signed in 2021 with Lürssen Werft GmbH and also covers training facilities which are expected to be delivered by 2027. Two years later, the green light for the construction is given to NVL (military branch of the Lürssen group). As expected, details regarding systems that will be fitted are not known at this stage but requirements highlighted the need for “self-protection, command and control capabilities and the need for extremely low-noise propulsion systems”.
