The German joke-F125-class frigate

[Penguin]

• Naval guns:
  • 1 × 127 mm lightweight Otobreda naval gun with guided VULCANO ammunition for land-attack missions (range: more than 100 km (62 mi))
  • 2 × 27 mm MLG 27 remote-controlled autocannons
  • 5 × 12.7 mm Hitrole-NT remote-controlled machine gun turrets
  • 2 × 12.7 mm heavy machine guns (manually controlled)
• CIWS:
  • 2 × RAM Block II surface-to-air missile launcher/CIWS, 21 cells each
• Anti-ship missiles:
  • 8 × RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles (interim solution until joint sea/land attack missile RBS 15 MK4 becomes available)

Notably absent:
ASW gear
Anything more than self defence anti-air armament.

Then again
a 100km range GUN > fire support for troops inshore
RAM > dual role > good for surface self defense agains assymetrical 'swarm' attacks

2 × NH-90 helicopters > both ASW and ASuW role > anti-submarine torps and/or air to surface missiles

The navalised NFH variant is typically outfitted with dipping sonar and sonobuoy processing equipment. Customer demand for future avionics improvements such as new data links and communication systems, as well as additional electro-optical sensors, have been anticipated by the manufacturer

F125 replaces the F122 Bremen class ships, which were GP/ASW escorts during Cold War era. It will serve as part of a group, also comprising e.g. F123 GP (4x) and F124 AAW ships (4x). The latter are very similarly equipped to the Dutch LCF/Zeven Provincien.

F123

• Antiaircraft warfare:
  • One Mk 41 Mod 3 vertical launch system for 16 Sea Sparrow antiaircraft missiles (ESSM planned)

• CIWS:
  • Two x Mk 49 launcher for 21 x Rolling Airframe Missiles

F124

• Antiaircraft warfare:
  • 1 MK. 41 VLS Tactical with 32 cells for 24 SM-2 Block IIIA and 32 RIM-162 ESSM (quad-packs per cell) surface-to-air missiles

• CIWS:
  • 2 RAM launchers with 21 surface-to-air/CIWS-missiles each

 

[Indus Falcon]

Press Releases
Second 125 class frigate christened in Hamburg
16.04.2015

German Navy frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" christened in Hamburg

The second of a total of four 125 class frigates for the German Navy is to be christened "Nordrhein-Westfalen" today at the Hamburg site of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems. Following the christening of the first frigate "Baden-Württemberg" in December 2013 this is a further important milestone in the shipbuilding program for this frigate class. Hannelore Kraft, Premier of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia after which the ship is to be named, will perform the christening ceremony. The frigate "Nordrhein-Westfalen" is scheduled to be handed over to the German defense procurement agency BAAINBw in mid-2018. The contract for the four frigates is worth around two billion euros in total.

Premier Hannelore Kraft: "It makes me proud that this ship will carry the name of our federal state across the world's oceans, mooring at many ports as an ambassador for North Rhine-Westphalia. The state government will be pleased to take the opportunity together with the crew of this ship to represent and present our state."

Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions AG: "ThyssenKrupp has its roots in the Ruhr region, so it is even more pleasing that North Rhine-Westphalia is acting as sponsor for the second frigate. The F125 class is a completely new type of ship with innovations across numerous fields of technology. It showcases our leading engineering expertise and points the way forward for German naval shipbuilding."

The ARGE F125 consortium which was awarded the contract to build four F125 class ships for the German Navy in 2007 consists of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems as the lead company and Fr. Lürssen Werft. The pre-fitted bow sections are being manufactured at the Fr. Lürssen Werft shipyards in Bremen and Wolgast. Construction of the stern sections, the joining of the two sections and further fitting out is being carried out at Blohm+Voss Shipyards in Hamburg.

The four 125 class frigates will replace the German Navy's eight 122 Bremen class frigates. The ships were developed specially for current and future mission scenarios. In addition to the traditional tasks of national and alliance defense, the 125 class frigates are designed for conflict prevention, crisis management, and international intervention and stabilization missions. The ships are capable of remaining at sea for 24 months and will be the first to implement the intensive use principle, i.e. significantly enhanced availability in the area of operation. This capability is supported by a reduced crew size and a two-crew strategy under which the crew can be swapped out on location.

Key data for the F125:

Length: 149 m

Width: 18 m

Maximum speed: >26 knots

Displacement: approx. 7,000 t

Crew: max. 190 (of which up to 120 regular crew members)

ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems

 

[Indus Falcon]

German Navy Christens Second 125 Class Frigate
Posted on April 16, 2015

The second of a total of four 125 class frigates for the German Navy is to be christened “Nordrhein-Westfalen” today at the Hamburg site of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

Following the christening of the first frigate “Baden-Württemberg” in December 2013 this is a further important milestone in the shipbuilding program for this frigate class. The frigate “Nordrhein-Westfalen” is scheduled to be handed over to the German defense procurement agency BAAINBw in mid-2018.

The contract for the four frigates is worth around two billion euros in total.

The four 125 class frigates will replace the German Navy’s eight 122 Bremen class frigates. The ships were developed specially for current and future mission scenarios. In addition to the traditional tasks of national and alliance defense, the 125 class frigates are designed for conflict prevention, crisis management, and international intervention and stabilization missions. The ships are capable of remaining at sea for 24 months and will be the first to implement the intensive use principle, i.e. significantly enhanced availability in the area of operation. This capability is supported by a reduced crew size and a two-crew strategy under which the crew can be swapped out on location.

German Navy Christens Second 125 Class Frigate | Naval Today

 

[Penguin]

 

[Indus Falcon]

Thanks @Penguin appreciate it!!

 

[MICA]

it only lacks air defense imo , i think the egyptian navy has made a great deal getting three Gowind 2500 , 4 type 209 , 1 Fremm Frigate which is the best Frigate probably by now

 

[C130]

GCS will put F-125 to shame.

Global Combat Ship - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[black-hawk_101]

I've just checked the new frigates scheduled to enter the German's Navy inventory from 2016.You've got to be kidding me ....a 7200 tonnes frigate (almost a destroyer) armed for AAW with only 2 RAM's....and that's it ! At a cost (which can escalate ) of 650 million euros each.

F125-class frigate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WTF ? French Gowind corvettes are better armed than those 7200 tonnes hunks of junk.What a waste of money...

I only like the U-212 which is the best of its kind.

 

[Penguin]

Germany already has 4 of these for AAW (2x21 RAM, 32 cell mk41 with 24 SM2 and 32 ESSM)

and 4 of these for general purpose warfare (2x21 RAM, 16 cell mk41 with ESSM)

and 5 of these for littoral combat (with 2x 21 RAM)

 

[Indus Falcon]

Key developments continue in Germany's F 125 frigate programme
Michael Nitz, Wedel, Germany - IHS Jane's Navy International
03 May 2015

The fore section of the German Navy's F 125 frigate Sachsen-Anhalt in transit between the Lürssen Werft and Blohm + Voss shipyards. With Lürssen building ship fore sections and Blohm + Voss the rear sections, the image shows the progress being made on the third ship. Source: Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service



Key Points

• German Navy christens second F 125 frigate, Nordrhein-Westfalen
• First-in-class Baden-Wuerttemberg has recently received its main gun fit, and the fore section of ship three Sachsen-Anhalt has been shipped to Hamburg for assembly with its rear sections

The German Navy has christened its second F 125 frigate, the next phase in a number of key recent developments in the frigate programme.

The German Navy's F 125 frigate Nordrhein-Westfalen (F 223) was christened on 16 April at ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in Hamburg. In the background is the fore section of F 125 ship three, FGS Sachsen-Anhalt. (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)

Nordrhein-Westfalen (F 223) was christened by TKMS on 16 April at the Blohm + Voss shipyard in Hamburg.

In June 2007 under a EUR2 billion (USD2.25 billion) contract, Germany ordered four F 125 frigates from the ARGE F 125 industry consortium, consisting of TKMS and Lürssen Werft Shipyard. Under TKMS leadership on the programme, Lürssen is responsible for constructing and fitting out the fore sections of each ship; these sections have been built at Lürssen's Bremen and Wolgast yards. Rear section construction and outfitting, along with whole-ship assembly, is carried out for TKMS at Blohm + Voss.

The F 125 has been designed to support national and alliance interests, but also to support crisis prevention, crisis response, and intervention and stabilisation operations. In particular, the frigates are designed for greater endurance, including being able to deploy away from home port for up to 24 months. This improved availability in areas of operations is enhanced by a two-crew concept ('Alpha' and 'Bravo' crews), with options for crew rotation on station to reduce requirements for long transits.

First-in-class Baden-Wuerttemberg (F 222) is scheduled for delivery to the German Armed Forces Procurement Agency (BAAINBW) in mid-2017. Nordrhein-Westfalen is expected to be delivered in mid-2018. All four will be delivered by 2020.

The German Navy's F 125 frigate Baden-Wuerttemberg (F222), with the recently fitted Oto Melara 127/64 Light Weight gun system. Second-in-class Nordrhein-Westfalen is in the background. (Michael Nitz/Naval Press Service)

The 7,100-ton frigates are 149 m long and 18 m in beam. Their CODLAG (combined diesel electric and gas) propulsion system generates a top speed of more than 26 kt. Unrefuelled endurance is 21 days. The frigates are fitted with a 127 mm Oto Melara Light Weight medium-calibre gun system, two 27 mm naval light guns, five 12.7 mm machine guns, two RAM launchers, and four Rheinmetall MASS decoy systems. Two helicopters can be embarked. Four 10 m, high-speed rigid hull inflatable boats (RHIBs) can be employed for special forces operations. IHS Jane's Fighting Ships says that the ships will carry eight Harpoon Block 2 missiles.

The frigates' maximum complement is 190 (120 crew, plus space for 50 special forces personnel and 20 aircrew).

Baden-Wuerttemberg has recently received its Oto Melara gun system. The fore section of ship three, Sachsen-Anhalt (F 224), also has recently been delivered from the Lürssen Werft yard in Wolgast to Blohm + Voss in Hamburg.

The F 125 frigates are replacing the navy's eight F 122 Bremen-class frigates, of which three currently remain operational - FGS Karlsruhe (F 212), FGS Augsburg (F 213), and FGS Lübeck (F 214).

Key developments continue in Germany's F 125 frigate programme - IHS Jane's 360

 

[Audio]

a 100km range GUN

Do you maybe know if Germany bought the guided ammo for this gun?

 

[Ceonwulf]

@Penguin Germany has 3 Sachsen class, not 4

 

[Penguin]

@Penguin Germany has 3 Sachsen class, not 4

(F222) Thüringen option not taken up

Do you maybe know if Germany bought the guided ammo for this gun?

Finmeccanica In The News: FInmeccanica wins 80 mln eur German frigate orders

 

[Audio]

Finmeccanica In The News: FInmeccanica wins 80 mln eur German frigate orders

Doesn't say anything about ammunition.

 

[Penguin]

Doesn't say anything about ammunition.

That's part of your answer ;-)

Oto Melara's Vulcano Munitions Ready for Sale
Apr. 1, 2014

All the 127mm Vulcano munition types are under contract from Italy for use on its multimission frigates. Holland, which has four naval 127mm compact cannons fit for Vulcano munitions, and Germany, which has ordered five 127mm cannons from Oto Melara for its F125 frigates, are potential users and are yet to decide which types of guided munition they want.

Oto Melara's Vulcano Munitions Ready for Sale | Defense News | defensenews.com