Keel laying F 126

Minister Pistorius present at the keel laying ceremony for the first frigate of class 126 "Niedersachsen"

It is a "Mmilestone in the largest procurement project in the history of the German Navy".

Keel laying of the first F126 - the cutlery. Photo: Uwe Mergener

The keel of the first Class 126 frigate was laid today at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast in the presence of Federal Minister Boris Pistorius. The ship will one day be the new "Niedersachsen". That is why Minister President Weil was among the guests of honour. But according to old shipyard tradition, the name is not actually pronounced before the christening, because until then it is a "construction number".

Six months after the start of construction at the Peene shipyard, the F126 project team can look back on a fulfilled schedule with the keel laying. It is the largest procurement project in the history of the German Navy. The construction contract comprises a total of four frigates of the new 126 class to date, and the prime contractor DAMEN and the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) have agreed an option for two further ships. We are still waiting for an official announcement of the decision. The ships will be built entirely in Germany.

Keel laying of the first F126 - the mint. Photo: Uwe Mergener

In the coming months, work will begin in parallel at the German Naval Yards shipyard in Kiel, which is also involved in the project, and at the Blohm+Voss NVL site in Hamburg. The aft ships will be built in Wolgast, while the forecastles will be manufactured in Kiel and joined to the aft ships there. The ships are then shipped to Hamburg for final outfitting, commissioning and testing. Hundreds of suppliers throughout Germany are involved in the project.

The frigate 126 will make a major contribution to Germany's NATO commitments. The F126 is to be deployable worldwide and will have a flexible and modular design. The F 126 is eagerly awaited by the navy, as the events in the Red Sea and before have shown how important the availability of units is.

Keel laying of the first F126, photo:DAMEN

The presence of the Federal Minister of Defence, Boris Pistorius, the Minister President of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Manuela Schwesig, the Minister President of the eponymous federal state of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil, and the naval inspector Jan Christian Kaack, underlines the enormous importance of the project for Germany, the German shipbuilding industry and the German Navy.