F125 class frigate
Encyclopedia
F125 is the project name for the Type 125 Baden-Württemberg class of frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s, currently in development for the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
by ARGE F125, a joint-venture of Thyssen-Krupp and Lürssen
Lürssen
Lürssen is a German shipbuilding company based in Bremen-Vegesack.Lürssen designs and constructs yachts, naval ships and special vessels...
. F125 is officially classified as frigates but in size and role they could be classified as destroyers, since, with a displacement of more than 7,200 tons, they will be the biggest class of frigates worldwide. They are to replace the oldest ships of the Bremen class
Bremen class frigate
The eight F122 Bremen class frigates of the German Navy were commissioned between 1982 and 1990. The design is similar to the Dutch Kortenaer class but uses a different hull and propulsion system. The ships were built for anti-submarine warfare as a primary task even though they are not fitted with...
.
In contrast to the Bremen class, which were built with Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
-era scenarios in mind, the F125 will have much enhanced land-attack capabilities. This will better suit the frigates in possible future peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
and peacemaking
Peacemaking
Peacemaking is a form of conflict resolution which focuses on establishing equal power relationships that will be robust enough to forestall future conflict, and establishing some means of agreeing on ethical decisions within a community that has previously had conflict. In order to do so there...
missions. For such reasons, the F125 will also mount non-lethal weapons.
Major design goals are reduced radar, infrared and acoustic signatures (stealth technology
Stealth technology
Stealth technology also termed LO technology is a sub-discipline of military tactics and passive electronic countermeasures, which cover a range of techniques used with personnel, aircraft, ships, submarines, and missiles, to make them less visible to radar, infrared, sonar and other detection...
), something that was introduced to the German Navy
German Navy
The German Navy is the navy of Germany and is part of the unified Bundeswehr .The German Navy traces its roots back to the Imperial Fleet of the revolutionary era of 1848 – 52 and more directly to the Prussian Navy, which later evolved into the Northern German Federal Navy...
with the Brandenburg class frigate
Brandenburg class frigate
The F123 Brandenburg class is a class of German frigate. They were ordered by the German Navy in June 1989, and then completed and commissioned between 1994 and 1996 to replace the Hamburg class destroyers...
and was further developed with the Sachsen class frigate
Sachsen class frigate
The F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
and Braunschweig class corvette
Braunschweig class corvette
The K130 Braunschweig class is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. They supplement the Gepard class fast attack craft that are currently used.-Technical details:...
.
Other important requirements are long maintenance periods: It should be possible to deploy F125 class frigates for up to two years away from homeports with an average sea operation time of more than 5,000 hours per year (that's nearly 60%) which includes operation under tropical conditions. For this reason, a combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas
Combined diesel-electric and gas is a modification of the combined diesel and gas propulsion system for ships.A CODLAG system employs electric motors which are connected to the propeller shafts . The motors are powered by diesel generators...
arrangement has been chosen for the machinery. This allows the replacement of large and powerful diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s for propulsion and sets of smaller diesel generator
Diesel generator
A diesel generator is the combination of a diesel engine with an electrical generator to generate electrical energy....
s for electric power generation with a pool of med-sized diesel generators, reducing the number of different engines.
To enhance survivability of the frigates, important systems are laid out in the two island principle, i.e. present at least twice at different places within the ship. This is also visible in the superstructures, which are split in two larger pyramid
Pyramid
A pyramid is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge at a single point. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilateral, or any polygon shape, meaning that a pyramid has at least three triangular surfaces...
al deckhouses. The aerials of the phased array
Phased array
In wave theory, a phased array is an array of antennas in which the relative phases of the respective signals feeding the antennas are varied in such a way that the effective radiation pattern of the array is reinforced in a desired direction and suppressed in undesired directions.An antenna array...
radar will be distributed over the two pyramids. This will ensure that the ship remains operational in case of severe damage, such as accidents or enemy action. It will also allow F125 frigates to keep station if needed when something breaks down and no replacement is available.
An initial batch of four frigates was ordered by the German Navy on 26 June 2007. The initial batch of four ships costs around 2.2 billion Euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
s. In April 2007, a contract with Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica
Finmeccanica S.p.A. is an Italian conglomerate. Finmeccanica is the second largest industrial group and the largest of the hi-tech industrial groups based in Italy. It works in the fields of defence, aerospace, security, automation, transport and energy...
was signed for delivery of Otobreda
Oto Melara
Oto Melara is an Italian defence company with factories in Brescia and La Spezia. It was founded in 1905 as a joint venture of Vickers and Terni. During World War I, Vickers Terni produced many weapons with calibre 40 mm and upwards. In 1929 the company was renamed Odero Terni Orlando with the...
127 mm Volcano main guns
Otobreda 127/64
The upcoming Oto Melara 127/64 Lightweight naval Gun Mount is a rapid fire gun mount suitable for installation on large and medium size ships, intended for surface fire and naval gunfire support as main role and anti-aircraft fire as secondary role....
as well as remote-controlled light gun turrets for the F125. The initially considered 155mm MONARC
MONARC
Modular Naval Artillery Concept was a study of the German defence industry about mounting the turret of the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer on a naval ship of frigate size....
gun, as well as the naval GMLRS rocket launcher, were dropped due to problems with the navalization of these land-based systems. The deal with Oto Melara had become opportune, because Germany still had counter trade obligations towards Italy, as Italy had purchased two German U212A class submarines
Type 212 submarine
The German Type 212 class, also Italian Todaro class, is a highly advanced design of non-nuclear submarine developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft AG and Fincantieri S.p.a. for the German and Italian Navy. It features diesel propulsion and an additional air-independent propulsion system using...
. The F125 vessels are equipped with ten guns for defence against air attack and also land attack. The vessels are also armed with non-lethal weapons, such as water cannons and searchlights for non-provocative deterrence and defence.
See also
- Sea Shadow (IX-529)Sea Shadow (IX-529)Sea Shadow is an experimental stealth ship built by Lockheed for the United States Navy to determine how a low radar profile might be achieved and to test high stability hull configurations which have been used in oceanographic ships....
- USS Independence (LCS-2)USS Independence (LCS-2)USS Independence is the lead ship for the Independence class of littoral combat ships. She will be the sixth ship of the United States Navy to be named for the concept of independence...
- USS Freedom (LCS-1)USS Freedom (LCS-1)USS Freedom is the lead ship of the Freedom class of littoral combat ships . She is the third vessel of the United States Navy to be so named for the concept of freedom. She is the design competitor produced by the Lockheed Martin consortium, in competition with the General Dynamics-designed USS...
- Sea FighterSea FighterSea Fighter is an experimental littoral combat ship under development by the United States Navy. Its hull is of a small-waterplane-area twin-hull design, provides exceptional stability, even on rough seas. The ship can operate in both blue and littoral waters...
- FREMM class frigate
- Visby class corvetteVisby class corvetteThe Visby is the latest class of corvette to be adopted by the Royal Swedish Navy after the Göteborg and the Stockholm class corvettes. The ship's design heavily emphasizes "low visibility" or stealth technology. The first ship in the class is named after Visby, the main city on the island of Gotland...
- Sachsen class frigateSachsen class frigateThe F124 Sachsen class is Germany's latest class of highly advanced air-defense frigates. The design of the Sachsen class frigate is based on that of the F123 Brandenburg class but with enhanced stealth features intended to deceive any opponent's radar and acoustic sensors and incorporate also the...
- Braunschweig class corvetteBraunschweig class corvetteThe K130 Braunschweig class is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. They supplement the Gepard class fast attack craft that are currently used.-Technical details:...
- Zeven Provinciën class frigateDe Zeven Provinciën class frigateThe De Zeven Provinciën class frigates are highly advanced air-defence and command frigates in service with the Koninklijke Marine . This class of ships is also known as LCF...
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- MilgemMilgemThe MİLGEM project, from the Turkish words Milli Gemi , is a Turkish national warship program, the purpose of which is to build a modern littoral combat warship with indigenous anti-submarine warfare and high-seas patrol capabilities, extensively using the principles of stealth technology in its...
Class Corvette - Type 26 frigate
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