Germany may be about to buy three MEKO A-200 frigates at a cost of about €1bn each amid delays to its F126 future frigate programme, reports suggest.
Last week Reuters cited sources claiming the Bundeswehr is set to acquire three of the warships from German shipbuilder TKMS, with the first ship to be delivered as soon as 2029, and the other two new ships within the following 12 months.
The German Government has an existing deal in place with Dutch firm Damen Naval to buy six Niedersachsen-class F126 frigates. The original €5.5bn deal for four vessels was struck at the start of 2020, and this was extended to six ships in June 2024.
Originally the first F126 warship was due to be commissioned in 2027; its keel was laid in June 2024. However, the delivery date for the first of the 166m, 10,500-tonne vessels has already been pushed back to 2028.
Media reports have suggested there are concerns that this date could slip further, owing to the complexity and size of the new class of ship, and changes to required capabilities. No building work on any of the other ships in the class has yet been started.
In November 2025 the German Government approved a $7.8bn package through to 2033 to finance an alternative ship procurement. Now new reports have emerged suggesting a formal contract is being prepared with TKMS for the proven MEKO A-200 ships.
The MEKO A-200 ships are 121m long, and displace just under 4,000 tonnes. They can sail at up to 29 knots and have a range of more than 6,500 nautical miles. They can each accommodate two light or one medium-sized helicopter, plus two uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
They also feature a side launch-and-recovery system (LARS) for their two 8m rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RHIBs).
If it goes ahead, it’s not clear at this stage whether the MEKO-class ships will be used as a stopgap measure, or will function as a partial or full substitute for the F126 programme.
The F126 programme was conceived as a replacement for Germany’s four Baden-Württemberg-class frigates commissioned between 2019 and 2022 and now in active service with the German Navy.
The MEKO 200 is the base platform for Australia’s seven Anzac-class frigates; Turkiye’s eight Yavuz/Barbaros-class warships; Greece’s four Hydra-class and Portugal’s three Vasco da Gama-class ships. Other variants are also in use with Algeria, Egypt, South Africa and New Zealand.
- You can read more about the Meko A-200 frigates on the TKMS website