No sooner had the Defence and Budget Committees decided on the extensive procurement of defence equipment for the navy yesterday (Wednesday) than the first contract was signed. As announced by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support, the Lürssen shipyard has been commissioned to design and build three Class 424 fleet service boats. In addition, a training and reference facility for this system is to be built.
Like the existing fleet service boats, the new Class 423 units will be designed according to civilian standards. This should save costs and development time. The planners envisage the new ships entering service for the first time as early as 2027. Alster, Oker and Oste take place seamlessly. The ships in service today were commissioned in 1988 and 1989 and would have been in service for the navy for almost four decades at the time of the changeover.
The requirements for the surface and underwater reconnaissance components are a challenge in the design of the new boats. Added to this are self-protection, command and control capabilities and the desired use of a particularly low-noise drive.
Text: mb; Drawing: Lürssen
English 
German
If this drawing is anything like the reality, the part is probably more of a lame duck. To put a reconnaissance unit into service nowadays that deviates from stealth design features in this way is grossly negligent, but is consistent with the German idea of defence.