Firing start for corvette Augsburg

On 10 May 2021, the first steel for the ninth K 130 corvette, the Augsburgcut. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the so-called burning start at the German Naval Yards Kiel was celebrated in a small circle. This is actually a fairly unspectacular act in which a plasma torch cuts the first piece of steel. Despite the pandemic, the K 130 consortium (Arge K130), which consists of Fr. Lürssen Werft, Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel, emphasises that the project is going according to plan. The Kiel shipyard will produce another of the approximately 43 metre long front sections. Blohm+Voss in Hamburg will be responsible for the joining with the stern section, the so-called "wedding joint", as well as the final outfitting. The aft sections of construction numbers 7 to 10 will be built by the Peene shipyard in Wolgast.
Construction number 6, the "Köln", is currently being fitted out at Lürssen's Blohm+Voss site in Hamburg. With the now 'cut' Augsburg A total of four corvettes are under construction.
In April 2019, construction of the second batch of corvettes began with the first steel cut for construction number 6 at Lürssen in Bremen. According to the current armaments report from the Federal Ministry of Defence (December 2020), the project is on schedule and within budget, with a deviation (measured against the first parliamentary discussion) of seven months from the next milestone "start of delivery". The delay is due to the negotiation of the 16th amendment request, in which a large number of subcontractors were involved. With the delivery of the Cologne is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023. Construction number 10, the Lübeckis scheduled to expire in 2025.
The 2021 Federal Budget Act allocates a sum of 2.273 billion euros for the procurement of the second batch of the Class 130 corvette. In financial terms, the project is thirteen per cent (311 million euros) above the budget estimate. In the previous report, the figure was five per cent or 112 million euros. In addition to the contractually agreed escalation, this development is due to changes in performance and the conversion of the price type.
By way of classification: Overall, the contractually agreed price escalation totalling eight billion euros (for all armaments programmes) represents the largest share compared to the estimates made at the start of the project. In addition, performance improvements and changes in performance alter the original budgetary approach, totalling around 3.3 billion euros (for all armaments projects). These changes are based on additional contracted services in response to changes in the military and technological environment during the procurement process. In principle, the financial requirement can also be reduced, for example if an original request is cancelled or if it is not technically feasible.

Text: Hans-Uwe Mergener; Photo: Bundeswehr