Corvette "Augsburg" christened

Christening of the corvette AUGSBURG - Fourth unit of the second batch christened in Hamburg at NVL

On 8 May 2025, the fourth corvette of the second batch of Class 130 was officially christened "Augsburg" at the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The festive ceremony took place in the presence of numerous representatives from politics, the Bundeswehr and industry. The godmother was Sigrun Maxzin-Weigel, Director of the Evangelical Children's and Youth Welfare Centre in Augsburg. She broke the christening bottle on the bow of the 89 metre long unit with the traditional cutting of the line. Later at the reception, she explained how close her personal ties to the naval units with the "Augsburg" had been - she had a picture of the second "Augsburg" - a class 120 frigate - in her office.

The city of Augsburg, represented by the Third Mayor Bernd Kränzle, emphasised the close connection between society and the navy with its sponsorship. The mayor made reference to the date 8 May and proudly explained that Augsburg, the city of peace, was currently celebrating its peace festival. The commissioning of a new corvette was very fitting. He concluded his speech with the words "God bless Augsburg". Rear Admiral Christoph Joachim Müller-Meinhard emphasised the importance of the completion of the new corvettes for the security of the country. He himself also found personal words, as he had also once sailed on the "Augsburg" of frigate class 122. Flotilla Admiral Andreas Czerwinski from the BAAINBw recalled the traditions of the old "Augsburg", which was also known as the "Wild 13" due to its hull number 213. He was referring to the eponymous characters from the Augsburg puppet theatre. Was that a coincidence? Perhaps. The old Augsburg also had thirteen commanders when she was decommissioned in 2019.

The "Augsburg" is the fourth of a total of five units in the second lot, which is being built by the K130 consortium - consisting of NVL Group, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel. Following the christening, the ship will undergo final outfitting and commissioning in Hamburg and will undergo all the necessary functional tests and approvals in close coordination with the public client and the German Navy.

In his speech, the CEO of NVL, Tim Wagner, also emphasised the shipyard's efforts to deliver a ship on time and in working order. In his speech, he cautiously criticised the fact that it might also be possible to be satisfied with 80% in order to achieve the target. He was alluding to technical delays caused by the complexity of the order and the large number of subcontractors. The final delivery of the units is expected in 2027, and the last of the corvettes in the second batch will be christened next year. The unit, which will then be named "Lübeck", will complete the circle of traditional names for naval units.

The corvette is optimised for operations in coastal areas and will play an important role in maritime reconnaissance and maritime target engagement in the future, particularly in the North and Baltic Seas. The christening of the "Augsburg" marks a further visible step in the Navy's ongoing procurement programme.

Text: Schlüter / Mergener

Photos: Schlüter