Rheinmetall aims to accelerate frigate construction for German Navy

HAMBURG (dpa-AFX) - Defense contractor Rheinmetall expects a swift restart for the delayed construction of F126 frigates for the German Navy. "We anticipate being awarded the prime contract for the F126 frigate this summer," Tim Wagner, head of Rheinmetall's newly established Maritime Systems division, told "Welt am Sonntag." "Our goal is to shorten lead times and deliver the first of the six planned frigates in the second half of 2031." Discussions are currently underway with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support. In early April, Rheinmetall acquired the NVL naval shipyard division of the Bremen-based Lürssen Group for 1.5 billion euros. The division is centered around the Blohm+Voss shipyard in Hamburg. The Dutch firm Damen Naval in Vlissingen was originally the prime contractor for the F126 project. However, Damen Naval - working with German shipyards as subcontractors - has been unable to meet production timelines, and the program is currently approximately four years behind schedule. The construction of six planned F126 vessels, valued at around ten billion euros, represents the German Navy's largest new-build program to date. The ships are primarily specialized in anti-submarine warfare. Rheinmetall taking over as prime contractor is one of two options currently being pursued by the Ministry of Defense. Alternatively, the Kiel-based naval shipbuilder TKMS is preparing for the construction of smaller Meko A-200 DEU type frigates./akl/DP/nas