At SMM 2024, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and NVL announced the planned establishment of a joint venture and signed a cooperation agreement. The aim of the cooperation is to jointly realize the construction of the MEKO A-400 AMD – a pioneering ship concept from thyssenkrupp Marine Systems that was specially developed to meet the requirements of a German Navy air defense frigate, according to thyssenkrupp's release.
As the principal shareholder in the joint venture, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems will play a leading role in the development and production of the Type F127 with its MEKO A-400 design, while NVL will contribute its extensive manufacturing capabilities and many years of experience in the construction of naval vessels to the cooperation. The exact structure of the work packages will be determined at a later stage. The cooperation will generate considerable synergies and make a significant contribution to strengthening and securing key national technologies in the field of naval shipbuilding. The planned cooperation was approved by the Federal Cartel Office on 2 September.
The MEKO A-400 AMD extends existing capability profiles with an improved energy supply for future weapon and command systems; in addition, the new type of hull offers more space for the installation of missiles and a higher cruising speed for multinational task forces. This means that the new frigate type can be equipped with a combination of novel defense missiles to combat threats from the air and engage several targets simultaneously at previously unreachable distances using long-range missiles. At the same time, the frigate can also be used against sea and land targets as well as for submarine hunting. Equipping the ship with systems that meet NATO requirements will also ensure integration and cooperation in NATO’s transatlantic strategy with this ship design.
Both companies also emphasized the military significance of the F127 project: The current Type F124 ships will reach the end of their service lifetime in the next few years. Extending the utilization period of the “Sachsen class” currently in service makes neither military nor economic sense.
The joint venture will be based in Hamburg and will act as the project company for the construction of the future F127 frigates. thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and NVL are thus creating the fundamental conditions for construction of the new frigate to begin as early as 2025. As things stand at present, the ships will be built by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in Wismar and by NVL in Hamburg and Wolgast, among other sites. The German Navy wants the first ship to be ready for deployment in 2034; the prerequisite for this goal is that orders are received promptly.
thyssenkrupp Marine Systems is one of the world’s leading naval companies with approximately 7,800 employees at three shipyards in Brazil, Kiel and Wismar with locations worldwide. The company is active as a systems supplier for submarines and naval surface vessels as well as for maritime electronics and security technologies. Around 3,300 people work at the Kiel site, making it the largest shipyard location in Germany.
NVL Group is a privately owned group of renowned Northern German shipyards and related companies.