Germany has abandoned plans to buy six large frigates from Rheinmetall, with experts citing production delays and the vulnerability of larger warships to enemy fire.

Germany has canceled a $17.2 billion program that would see it build the largest warships since the end of World War II, more than 80 years ago.

The German Ministry of Defense scuttled plans to build six F126 “made-to-order frigates” from Dutch-based Damen with German partners Blohm+Voss and Naval Vessels Lürssen (NVL). Instead, Berlin will acquire eight smaller MEKO A-200 frigates, to be built by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems.

The MEKO A-200 frigate, part of the German “MEKO” (Mehrzweck-Kombination, or “multi-purpose combination”) family of warships, is a new take on the existing MEKO 200 frigate. The latter ship features a design that dates back to the late 1980s. Several nations already operate the standard MEKO 200, including Turkey, Greece, Portugal, and Egypt.

When it enters service, the A-200 will replace the Deutsche Marine’s (German Navy’s) four aging Brandenburg-class anti-submarine warfare frigates.

The MEKO A-200 Frigate’s Specifications

• Year Introduced: Not yet introduced (expected delivery 2029)
• Number Built: 0 (4 planned, possible increase to 8)
• Length: 121 m (397 ft)
• Beam (Width): 16.4 m (53 ft 10 in)
• Displacement: ~3,950 tons (full load)
• Propulsion: Combined Diesel And Gas turbine – Waterjet and Refined Propellers (CODAG-WARP)
• Top Speed: 29+ knots (53.7 km/h, 33.3 mph)
• Range: 6,500+ nautical miles (12,038 km, 7,480 mi) at optimal cruising speed
• Armament:
  • Main Gun: 1 x 127mm or 76mm naval gun
  • Surface-to-Air Missiles: 32-cell VLS (often outfitted with VL MICA or Barak 8 missiles)
  • Anti-Ship: 8 x Surface-to-Surface missiles (e.g., Exocet or BrahMos)
  • Anti-Submarine: 4 x 324mm torpedo tubes
  • Secondary/Countermeasures: 30mm/40mm secondary guns, mass/IR decoys, and acoustic countermeasure systems
  • Air Wing: Can hangar up to 2 x 6-ton helicopters (or 1 x 11-ton helicopter)
  • Unmanned Assets: Space for up to 2 x UAVs
  • Boat Deployment: Side launch and recovery systems for 2 x 8-meter RHIBs (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats)
• Crew: 125 (plus space for 49 embarked personnel/Special Forces)

Why Did Germany Change Its Mind About the New Frigates?

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has led the efforts to increase Germany’s military capabilities, and the NATO member is on track to have the largest conventional fighting force in Europe by the end of the decade. Berlin is investing heavily in numerous programs, and that has included increasing its naval capabilities.

So far, Berlin’s naval efforts have been focused primarily on NATO alliance defense and regional security, rather than blue-water ambitions. The MEKO A-200 anti-submarine warfare (ASW) frigates could be better suited to what is needed in the waters around Europe

The Deutsche Marine “has an urgent need for new vessels to maintain its ASW capability in the North Sea and the North Atlantic, essential for countering Russian activity,” The Maritime Executive wrote—adding that Berlin had initially considered the A-400 frigate, “but [it] was set aside because the delivery timeline was far longer.”

Russia’s submarine fleet has undergone a resurgence, and it is seen to present a very serious existential threat to the United States and NATO. Today, the Kremlin’s underwater fleet acts as its “capital ships,” projecting Russian power in distant waters.

That will require an immediate shift in Western ASW strategies, and Berlin appears ready to take up the efforts—especially as the UK’s Royal Navy is a shell of its former self.

For Frigates, Larger Isn’t Always Better

A key talking point about the F126 frigates was that they would have been the largest surface warships operated by Germany since World War II. However, the program was mired in repeated delays, meaning that the first vessel wouldn’t have been delivered until at least 2032. German defense planners seem to have felt that Germany and NATO couldn’t wait that long

However, the problems go beyond construction delays. Lessons learned from the war in Ukraine also highlighted that large warships make for large targets, as noted by the sinking of the Moskva, the Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet flagship, in April 2022. Aerial and undersea drones have destroyed or disabled several other Russian warships.

It appears Washington didn’t get that memo—as noted by the calls to build the Trump-class battleships, the largest non-aircraft carrier surface combatants to be developed in generations.

Frigate Contract Loss a Massive Blow to Rheinmetall

The cancellation is also a significant setback for Germany’s Rheinmetall, which was slated to play a major role in the construction of the frigates. The firm acquired shipbuilder Naval Yards Lurssen earlier this year as it sought to move into the maritime defense space. Rheinmetall stock plunged 20 percent  after the announcement, its worst close since 1989.

On the flip side, the shift to the MEKO A-200 frigates will be good news for ThyssenKrupp and its workforce in the German ports of Kiel and Bremerhaven.

The first new A-200 frigate is scheduled to be delivered by 2029, well ahead of the most recent F126 timelines. 

About the Author: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu has contributed to dozens of newspapers, magazines and websites over a 30-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a contributing writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. He is based in Michigan. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

The post German Navy Changes Tack on Warship Plans appeared first on The National Interest.