Frigate "Rheinland-Pfalz" is the last of the four F125s to enter service

From a press release by Rostock Naval Command: On Wednesday, 13 July 2022, the frigate "Rheinland-Pfalz", the last of four Baden-Württemberg-class F125 frigates, was commissioned in Wilhelmshaven at 2 pm.

"The fourth and final commissioning of the F125 class represents another important milestone for our squadron and the navy," explains the commander of the 4th Fighter Wing. frigate squadronCaptain Dirk Jacobus (53). "This is the first time that all four ships are under the responsibility of the navy. With the transfer of the last F125 to the navy, we are gaining an additional resource for the targeted training of all our crews," said the commander.

On the orders of the Deputy Inspector General of the Navy and Commander of the Fleet and Support Forces, Vice Admiral Frank Lenski (60) Frigate captain Stefan Rappelt (44), commander of the crew F125 "Charlie", put the frigate into service. "With the commissioning of the F125 "Charlie", the crew is bringing the Frigate "The "Rheinland-Pfalz" is the second of a total of four Class 125 ships to successfully enter service with the German Navy, thereby also completing the introduction and testing phase of this new class of ship," explains Frigate Captain Rappelt. "The crew is therefore delighted about this success for the German Navy and the upcoming tasks on board the Navy's newest ship," said the commander.

F125 - Frigate F 222 Baden-Württemberg. Photo: Michael Nitz

Already at the Frigate class F122, there was a "Rheinland-Pfalz" that made the federal state famous on the world's oceans. The close ties and lively sponsorship between the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the crews of the ship will be revived with the commissioning of the new "Rheinland-Pfalz".

The "Rheinland-Pfalz" now completes the F125 squadron alongside the "Baden-Württemberg", "Nordrhein-Westphalen" and the "Sachsen-Anhalt". Frigate regardless of their home port for up to two years. Due to the high degree of automation, the personnel approach will be reduced compared to the previous Frigates by almost half. Its main task will be maritime surveillance in crisis regions and supporting special forces from the sea.

F125 - Frigate F 223 North Rhine-Westphalia. Photo: Michael Nitz

Good to know - More about the Baden-Württemberg-class frigate

With the Frigates of the Baden-Württemberg class, the navy will have a total of four of the world's technologically leading warships at its disposal. Designed from scratch, the Frigate type has been developed from the German operational experience of the past decades - and is designed for the present and future of stabilisation missions. The range of tasks of the F125 class primarily includes maritime surveillance in crisis regions worldwide, such as missions for embargo controls or anti-piracy operations.

F125 - Frigate F 224 Sachsen-Anhalt. Photo: Michael Nitz

The Baden-Württemberg class meets the requirement of being able to remain in operation globally and for long periods of time with new technical and organisational concepts: Designed for intensive use, it can operate for up to two years without being dependent on its home port, with 5,000 operating hours. As planned, the interval between inspections for the warships is five years and eight months. This almost doubles the operating time and quadruples the maintenance intervals compared to the previous system. Frigates of the navy. The reduced maintenance requirements, combined with automation and digitalisation on board the ships, make it possible to reduce the crew size from over 200 on the other frigates to 126 soldiers on those of the Baden-Württemberg class. Several 125-man crews will then take turns every four months during a longer deployment. In this multi-crew concept, eight crews are planned for the four Baden-Württemberg-class ships.

The frigates of the Baden-Württemberg class

F222 "Baden-Württemberg", put into service on 17 June 2019
F223 "North Rhine-Westphalia", put into service on 10 June 2020
F224 "Saxony-Anhalt", put into service on 17 May 2021
Frigate F225 "Rheinland-Pfalz", put into service on 13 July 2022

Technical data of the frigate "Rheinland-Pfalz"

Dimensions
149.5 m length (overall)
18.8 m width
5.4 m draught
7,200 tonnes displacement

Drive
Type CODLAG (combined diesel-electric and gas turbine drive)
1 x gas turbine
4 x diesel engine
2 x electric motor
1 x bow thruster
31,600 kW (43,000 horsepower) Total output
2 x propeller
Speed: more than 26 knots

Sensors
1 x multifunction radar TRS-3D/NR, range more than 250 km,
Target tracking capacity: more than 1,500
1 x EK system KORA 18 (electronic reconnaissance)
2 x video and infrared target tracking MSP 600
1 x 360-degree infrared monitoring SIMONE
1 x diver detection sonar
2 x navigation radar

Weapons
1 x main gun 127 mm Lightweight LCG, range more than 80 km
2 x machine gun 27 mm MLG light naval gun
5 x heavy machine gun 12.7 mm HITROLE N
2 x launchers for RGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missiles, range more than 220 km
2 x launchers for short-range air defence RIM-116 RAMRolling Airframe Missile
4 x decoy launcher MASS

Crew and miscellaneous
Regular crew: 126 servicemen and women
Additional personnel (e.g. for on-board helicopters, boarding teams): max. 70 servicemen and women
4 x Buster model rescue boat
2 x Sea Lynx Mk88A on-board helicopters (on board for use only)

Source of the technical data of the frigate "Rheinland-Pfalz" and more at bundeswehr.de