It’s been confirmed that the Germany Navy will acquire a total of eight MEKO A-200 DEU frigates after an additional €5bn of funding was agreed for four more warships.
Back in June the German Government announced it would procure four of the 121m MEKO A-200 platforms from TKMS when it revealed it was scrapping its F126 frigate programme, blaming rising costs and project delays. The setbacks had meant original prime contractor Damen Naval had been unable to meet the scheduled production timetable.
At the time Government officials also mooted the possibility of buying more of the MEKO frigates, which displace just under 4,000 tonnes, can sail at up to 29 knots and have a range of more than 6,500 nautical miles.
Last week it was revealed the German Government’s Budget Committee had given the green light for the procurement of four additional A-200s. The delivery schedule remains the same, with the first warship due to be delivered in 2029.
As per a July German Navy statement the first four MEKOs will cost about €6.3 billion; the option for the second four ships was costed at an additional €5.3 billion.
Oliver Burkhard, CEO of TKMS, commented: “The Budget Committee’s decision is a strong sign of confidence in us. We made early investments in the MEKO A-200 DEU and, together with our partners, laid the groundwork for rapid series production.
“Now we can swiftly continue series production and thereby make an important contribution to closing as quickly as possible an impending capability gap in the German Navy.”
TKMS said it would be seeking “participation from the German maritime industry for the follow-on procurement,” and hoped shipyards and suppliers which had been expecting to serve the now-cancelled F126 programme could contribute.
- You can read more details on the TKMS website
