Bremen-class frigate

Frigate F208 Niedersachsen
Class overview
Builders: Bremer Vulkan
AG Weser
Blohm & Voss
Nordseewerke
Howaldtswerke
Operators:  German Navy
Succeeded by: F125-class frigate
Completed: 8
Active: Niedersachsen
Karlsruhe
Augsburg
Lübeck
Retired: 4
General characteristics
Displacement:3,680 tonnes
Length:130.50 m
Beam:14.60 m
Draft:6.30 m
Propulsion:CODOG (Combined diesel or gas)
2 × MTU 20V956 TB92 diesel engines, 8.14 MW total
2 × General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, 38 MW total
2 × Renk STG 150-50 gearboxes, 10:1 (diesel) and 720:47 (turbine)
2 × propeller shafts, controllable pitch, five-bladed Sulzer-Escher propellers, later replaced with seven-bladed ones from Wegemann & Co. ("Bremen" only)
4 × Deutz MWM diesel-generators, 750 kW
Speed:30 knots
Range:more than 4,000 nautical miles (7,000 km) at 18 knots
Complement:202 crew plus 20 aviation
Sensors and
processing systems:		1 × EADS TRS-3D air search radar (three-dimensional)
1 × WM 25 combined surface search and fire control radar I/J band
1 × Thales Nederland STIR 180 fire-control radar I/J/K band
1 × Kelvin Hughes Nucleus 5000 I band navigation radar
1 × STN Atlas DSQS-23BZ hull-mounted sonar
Electronic warfare
and decoys:		ESM/ECM EADS FL 1800S
2 × SCLAR decoys
SLQ-25 Nixie torpedo decoy
Armament:
  • Naval guns:
    • 1 × OTO-Melara 76 mm dual-purpose gun
    • 2 × Mauser MLG27 27 mm autocannons
  • Antiaircraft warfare:
    • 1 × 8-cell launch system, 16 × Sea Sparrow surface to air missiles
  • CIWS:
    • 2 × MK 49 launcher, 21 × RAM each
  • Anti-ship missiles:
  • Antisubmarine warfare:
Aircraft carried:Place for 2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A helicopters equipped with torpedoes, air-to-surface missiles Sea Skua, and/or heavy machine gun.

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 towed array sonars. They are also suited for anti-aircraft warfare and anti-surface warfare.

This class of ship was one of the last to be constructed under post-war displacement limitations imposed by the WEU on West Germany.

All eight Bremen-class frigates will be replaced by the planned F125-class frigates, starting probably around 2016. Until then, the Bremen class serves as the backbone of the German Navy.[1]

Employment

During the Cold War period, the ships' main war task was to escort convoys for reinforcement and resupply of Allied forces in Europe. They frequently took part in NATO Standing Naval Forces. Since 1990, all ships have served in additional supporting missions such as the embargo operations against former Yugoslavia in the Adriatic Sea or Operation Enduring Freedom against the international terrorism.

During their lifetime, the ships' equipment has frequently been modernised and a further adaptation of combat systems is foreseen in the near future.

Notable actions

The Karlsruhe successfully assisted an Egyptian freighter repel pirates on December 25, 2008 in the Gulf of Aden.

In 2012 the Rheinland-Pfalz was reportedly used to gather intelligence on Syrian troop movements to be passed to the Free Syrian Army assist in their attacks on the Syrian Army.[2]

Ships

Pennant Name Call
sign		 Laid down Shipyard Launched Delivered Commissioned Decommissioned
F207Bremen DRAQ July 9, 1979 Bremer Vulkan September 27, 1979 May 7, 1982 March 28, 2014
F208Niedersachsen DRAR November 9, 1980 AG Weser June 9, 1980 October 15, 1982
F209Rheinland-Pfalz DRAS September 25, 1979 Blohm & Voss September 3, 1980 May 9, 1983 March 22, 2013[3]
F210Emden DRAT June 23, 1979 Nordseewerke December 17, 1980 October 7, 1983 November 29, 2013
F211Köln DRAU June 16, 1980 Blohm & Voss May 29, 1981 October 19, 1984 July 31, 2012[4]
F212Karlsruhe DRAV March 10, 1981 Howaldtswerke January 8, 1982 April 19, 1984
F213Augsburg DRAN April 4, 1987 Bremer Vulkan September 17, 1987 October 3, 1989
F214Lübeck DRAO June 1, 1987 Nordseewerke October 15, 1987 March 19, 1990

All ships are based in Wilhelmshaven. Together they form the 4. Fregattengeschwader (4th Frigate Squadron) of the German Navy.

Gallery

References

  1. ↑ Fiorenza, Nicholas (24 October 2011). "More Details Of German Cuts". Ares: A Defense Technology Blog. Aviation Week. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Reuters (Aug 19, 2012). "Syria rebels aided by Germany intel ship in fight against Assad forces, report says". Haaretz. Retrieved 20 Aug 2012.
  3. ↑ "Kein Abschied für immer". 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-06-07.
  4. ↑ "Fregatte Köln: Ein letztes Kölsch zum Abschied". Express.de. 2012-08-01. Retrieved 2013-02-22.

Sources

External links