Keel laid for the first Class 424 fleet service boat

The first ship of the new generation of reconnaissance units is being built at the Peene shipyard in Wolgast

It is not a battleship, it is not designed for naval combat and it is certainly not a "Spy ship". It is one of three planned reconnaissance units that are to follow the Oste class. The ceremony took place under strict security conditions - and not just because of the current security situation. These ships are exceptional, and that is also the reason for the interest in them.

The ceremony took place in the presence of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania's Minister President Manuela Schwesig, the Deputy Inspector General, Lieutenant General Andreas Hoppe, as well as the Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan Christian Kaack, and the Inspector of Cyber and Information Space, Vice Admiral Dr Thomas Daum.

After the formation of honour marched in, the managing director of the Peene shipyard, Mr Harald Jäkel, welcomed the guests. They were now in the shipyard's ultra-modern new dock hall. He expressed his thanks for the trust placed in the shipyard and outlined the further production plan. In her speech, Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig reminded the audience that it was shortly after the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine. This was another reason why it was necessary to produce these ships. As Minister President, it was particularly important for her to see the location and the Peenewerft shipyard strengthened. There have been difficult times. It is good that technology and expertise have remained in the country. She thanked those responsible, in the interests of the economy and especially in the interests of the country's security.

Tim Wagner, CEO of the NVL Group, thanked the Prime Minister and her solidarity. He also said that he could not remember having welcomed so many high-ranking soldiers. "Shipbuilding is system integration of all-German added value," he said. Even if we are on schedule, the threat demands that we become even better.
Lieutenant General Hoppe, Deputy Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, was pleased that he was able to be here "despite the colour of the uniform" and conveyed greetings from the Minister of Defence, on whose behalf he was present. He outlined the importance of security policy and thanked the Inspector of the Navy for his international commitment, especially during the last Indo-Pacific deployment. He recalled the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the resulting turning point. He said that the speech by the American Vice President had probably also triggered another turning point.

The Inspector of the Navy, Vice Admiral Jan C. Kaack, greeted the guests with his usual "Moin". "What a day!" he exclaimed and was delighted about the significant step towards modernising the German Navy. He once again reminded the audience of how much the security situation in the Baltic Sea was at risk, mentioning the recent damage and anchor losses. In this scenario, the procurement of the FD boats was a further step towards modernising the navy in a future environment. "We need reconnaissance!" he said, recalling that the current FD boats have been in service in the navy for over 40 years. Renewal "is necessary". He praised the Peene shipyard for its "sensible and excellent products". The coming months would still present many a challenge, but he was confident of success. "The keel laying is more than a symbolic act, it is important for the security of the Federal Republic of Germany," he concluded his speech.

Vice Admiral Dr Thomas Daum opened his welcome address with the quote "if you want peace, prepare for war". The FD boat is an important means of naval warfare, a strategic reconnaissance system to counter military threats. He liked to refer to the FD boats as his "main weapon system". The old boats were "children of the Cold War" and were therefore primarily used in the Baltic Sea, he recalled. It was a long road to get to the new build, with a lot of persuasion about the size and cost, especially in the defence committee. And he was pleased to be able to fulfil his core mission in the future "in a state-of-the-art manner above and below water". He also formulated his demand on the industry to deliver reliable systems within the time, cost and performance framework. He ended with the opening quote "si vis pacem para bellum" and added, "we don't want war", but we will fight back clearly if necessary.
The speeches were followed by the traditional keel-laying ceremony. First, the nails were hammered into the plates with the plaque and the commemorative coin of the "Oker's" namesake city, Goslar, by the prominent guests of honour. The shipbuilders at the shipyard then got to work and hammered the plaque into the keel of the section. All guests of honour received a small commemorative plaque.

The section built here is 57.7 metres long, 20 metres wide and already weighs 850 tonnes. Once completed, the section will be moved to Berne in October 2025, where it will be "married" to the finished rear section and transported to Hamburg to complete the work. The fully equipped ship will then be prepared for handover to the customer in Hamburg. The shipbuilders' staff have already given the ship a nickname; in shipyard jargon, the section is already called "FloDiBo".

Planning history

Back in June 2021, the contract for the procurement of three Fleet service boats Class 424 with a training and reference system reconnaissance between the BAAINBw and NVL B.V. & Co. KG, at that time still Fr. Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co. KG, was concluded. With parliamentary approval on 6 July 2023, the project moved from the design phase to the realisation phase. The total contract has a volume of up to 3.26 billion euros.

Order

Fleet service boats the navy has had almost since its foundation. The first units mainly reconnoitred the Warsaw Pact fleets in the Baltic Sea. The current one is the third generation of Fleet service boats of the Navy and the second, which bears the names Alster (A 50), Oker (A 53) and Oste (A 52). It can be assumed that the new units will also bear these names. Their deployments are not communicated publicly, they operate rather covertly, and what exactly they do is only known to security-cleared circles of people. Strict security requirements apply not only to the operation but also to the construction of these ships. Against the backdrop of the current security situation and speculation about sabotage of naval units, this has once again attracted particular attention.

Fleet service boats of the German Navy are specialised units for monitoring sea and coastal areas with electronic, hydro-acoustic and electro-optical sensors (reconnaissance). The new boats, with a length of around 132 metres and a displacement of between 3,500 and 4,000 tonnes, are intended to replace the existing Fleet service boats of the 423 class. The crew of the boats is expected to be 50 people, and the reconnaissance team to be embarked will also be around 50 people. Class 424 is scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031 - the training facility will be available to the navy as early as 2027. The boats with their specialised sensors are of central importance for strategic information gathering. This includes intercepting radio traffic, detecting electromagnetic signatures and identifying ships and equipment. This is why these boats were sometimes referred to as "measuring boats" in the past. Their area of operation has shifted from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean in recent years.

They are under the operational command of the Cyber and Information Space sub-force, but are operated by the German Navy. Their missions are always nationally led and these valuable capabilities are never handed over, not even to NATO partners. However, the results are of great importance to all allies. During the Cold War, for example, the photos taken by the "measuring boats" of Warsaw Pact units, even in 3D, were a popular "commodity" among the allies. These ships offer more than just a military picture of the situation in the Baltic Sea, for example; they may also provide an essential basis for decision-making for federal government committees - behind secure doors, of course.