Braunschweig-class corvette

Ludwigshafen am Rhein in 2016
Class overview
Builders
Operators
Preceded byGepard class
SubclassesSa'ar 6 class
Cost
  • €240 million (2001) (equivalent to €166.5 million in 2021)[1] per ship (Batch 1)
  • €400 million (2017) (equivalent to €427.84 million in 2021)[1] per ship (Batch 2)
Built2004–present
In commission2008–present
Planned10
Building4
Completed6
Active6
General characteristics
TypeCorvette
Displacement1,840 t (1,810 long tons)
Length89.12 m (292 ft 5 in)
Beam13.28 m (43 ft 7 in)
Draft3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propulsion2 MTU 20V 1163 TB 93 diesel engines producing 14.8MW, driving two controllable-pitch propellers.
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)[2]
Endurance7 days; 21 days with tender[3]
Complement65 : 1 commander, 10 officers, 16 chief petty officers, 38 enlisted
Sensors &
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carriedHelicopter pad and hangar for two drones [5][6]

The K130 Braunschweig class (sometimes Korvette 130) is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. Five ships have replaced the Gepard-class fast attack craft of the German Navy.

In October 2016 it was announced that a second batch of five more corvettes, originally to be procured from 2022–2025 but now reportedly delayed.[7][8] The decision was in response to NATO requirements expecting Germany to provide a total of four corvettes at the highest readiness level for littoral operations by 2018, and with only five corvettes just two can be provided.[6]

Technical details

They feature reduced radar and infrared signatures ("stealth" beyond the capabilities of those of the Sachsen-class frigates), and will be equipped with two helicopter UAVs for remote scouting. The German Navy ordered a first batch of two UMS Skeldar V-200 systems for use on the Braunschweig-class corvettes, but the project was cancelled because the drones did not meet the required milestones.[9] The hangar is too small for standard helicopters, but the pad is large enough for Sea Kings, Lynx, or NH-90s, the helicopters of the German Navy.[10]

Originally, the K130 class was supposed to be armed with the naval version of the Polyphem missile, an optical fiber-guided missile with a range of 60 km (37 mi), which at the time was under development. The Polyphem program was cancelled in 2003 and instead the designers chose to equip the class with the RBS-15. While the RBS-15 has a much greater range of 250 km (160 mi), the current version mounted on the ships, Mk3, lacks the ECM-resistant video feedback of the Polyphem. The German Navy had ordered the RBS-15 Mk4 in advance, which is a development of the Mk3 with increased range —400 km (250 mi)— and a dual seeker for increased resistance to electronic countermeasures.[11] The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets.[12]

Difficulty of classification

Vessels of this class do not have an executive officer (German: Erster Offizier). Traditionally, in the German Navy, this was used as a rule to classify a vessel as a boat, not a ship. In a press release, the German Navy stated that these corvettes will be called ships nonetheless because of their size, armament, and endurance.[13] The commanding officer wields the same disciplinary power as a German Army company commander, not that of a battalion commander as is the case with the larger German warships such as frigates.[14] However, in size, armament, protection, and role, these corvettes resemble modern antisurface warfare light frigates, the main difference being the total absence of any antisubmarine warfare related sensors or weapons.

Contracting

The contract for first five ships was awarded in December 2001 Blohm+Voss, at that time owned by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems, Nordseewerke, and Friedrich Lurssen Werft. The first ship, the Braunschweig, built at Blohm+Voss, was launched in April 2006 and was commissioned in April 2008. The second ship was commissioned in 2008.[15] The final three ships in Batch I were commissioned in 2013.[16] Severe problems with the gearing provided by MAAG GmbH of Winterthur, Switzerland, delayed the commissioning of the corvettes. Further issues occurred with the air-conditioning system and exposure to toxins from exhaust and missile systems.[17]

In May 2015, the Israeli government ordered four Sa'ar 6-class corvettes, whose design by ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems will be loosely based on that of the Braunschweig-class corvette,[18] but with engineering changes to render the baseline platform more militarily robust.[19]

In April 2017, the German government announced a contract for a further five ships to the same group as before, but the process under which it had been awarded was challenged at the German Federal Cartel Office by the German Naval Yards and the contract was voided in May.[20][21]

In September 2017, the German Navy commissioned the construction of five more corvettes in a consortium of North German shipyards. Lürssen will be the main contractor in the production of the vessels. The contract is worth around 2 billion euros.[21][22] In April 2018, the German government announced the specific arrangements under which the five new K130s would be built.[23][24]

Plans to build a third batch (i.e. ships 11–15) are under consideration, ships from the first batch (i.e. ships 1–5) would be decommissioned from 2025 and sold to a NATO ally in order to avoid modernization costs.[25]

In September 2022 it was reported that increasing difficulties in integrating the command and control systems for the Batch 2 ships had resulted in a cost growth of 401 million Euros and at least a two year delay for the completion of the lead Batch 2 vessel, and potentially cascading delays for the next two ships in the Batch 2 program as well.[7]

Sabotage

In February 2025, German media reported an incident aboard Emden. During a routine maintenance check on the yet to complete corvette, significant amounts of metal shavings were found in the main gear. If the engine had been started, these objects would have caused significant damage, further delaying the programme. The Hamburg State Criminal Police Office and the German Military Counterintelligence Service BAMAD are conducting an investigation, suspecting sabotage.[26]

Ships in class

The ships were not built at a single shipyard; sections were constructed at different locations at the same time and later married together. The table lists the yard where the keel-laying ceremonies were held. Due to the decommissioning of the Gepard class, five additionally being constructed from 2019–2025.[27]

Pennant no. Name Builder
(final assembly shipyard)		 Contract Status Laid down Launched Comm. Notes
Batch 1 (5 ships)
F260 Braunschweig Blohm+Voss
(shipyard Hamburg)		 Dec 2001[28] In service 3 Dec 2004[29] 19 Apr 2006[29] 16 Apr 2008[30] [30]
F261 Magdeburg Lürssen-Werft
(shipyard Bremen)		 In service 19 May 2005[31] 6 Sep 2006[31] 22 Sep 2008[30]
F262 Erfurt Nordseewerke
(shipyard Emden)		 In service 22 Sep 2005[32] 29 Mar 2007[32] 28 Feb 2013[30]
F263 Oldenburg Blohm+Voss
(shipyard Hamburg)		 In service 16 Jan 2006[33] 28 Jun 2007[33] 21 Jan 2013[30]
F264 Ludwigshafen am Rhein Lürssen-Werft
(shipyard Bremen)		 In service 14 Apr 2006[34] 26 Sep 2007[34] 21 Mar 2013[30]
Batch 2 (5 ships)
F265 Köln Blohm+Voss (NVL Group)
(shipyard Hamburg)		 12 Sep 2017[35] Sea trial (constructor) 25 Apr 2019[36] 30 Oct 2020[37] – –
F266 Emden Peene-Werft (Lürssen group)
(shipyard Wolgast)		 Sea trial (constructor) 30 Jan 2020[38] 4 May 2023[39] – [40]
F267 Karlsruhe Blohm+Voss (NVL Group)
(shipyard Hamburg)		 Sea trial (German Navy)[41] 6 Oct 2020[42] 4 May 2024[43] – –
F268 Augsburg Lürssen-Werft
(shipyard Bremen)		 Under construction 13 Jul 2021[44] 8 May 2025[45] – –
F269 Lübeck Blohm+Voss (Rheinmetall group)
(shipyard Hamburg)		 Under construction 15 Mar 2022[46] 30 Apr 2026[47] – –

Images

See also

Equivalent modern corvettes

References

  1. 1 2 1500 to 1850: Ulrich Pfister, 2010. "Consumer prices and wages in Germany, 1500 - 1850," CQE Working Papers 1510, Center for Quantitative Economics (CQE), University of Münster. 1851–1882: Coos Santing, 2007, Inflation 1800–2000, data from OECD, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Economic Outlook. Historical Statistics and Mitchell, B. R. International Historical Statistics, Africa, Asia and Oceania 1750–1993 London : Macmillan; New York : Stockton, 1998, International Historical Statistics, Europe 1750–1993 London : Macmillan; New York : Stockton, 1998, and International Historical Statistics, The Americas 1750–1993 London : Macmillan; New York : Stockton, 1998. After 1883, German inflation numbers based on data available from the Deutsches Statistisches Bundesamt templateId=renderPrint.psml archive and GENESIS database.
  2. ↑ "Corvette Braunschweig Handed Over" (Press release). ThyssenKrupp AG. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 13 December 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Korvette "Braunschweig"-Klasse (K 130)" (in German). German Navy. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette - German Navy". Navyr ecognition. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  5. ↑ "Marine: Projekt mit Hubschrauberdrohne UMS Skeldar beendet" (in German). hartpunkt.de. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  6. 1 2 "German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes", Navy recognition, 14 November 2016.
  7. 1 2 "Germany's K130 Batch 2 Corvette Program 2 Years Behind Schedule". 17 October 2022.
  8. ↑ "Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr", Faz, 14 October 2016.
  9. ↑ "Marine: Projekt mit Hubschrauberdrohne UMS Skeldar beendet" (in German). 2 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  10. ↑ "Corvettes - Naval vessels | NVL". nvl.de. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
  11. ↑ "de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung" (in German). German Navy. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  12. ↑ German Navy K130 Corvettes Ready for Saab RBS-15 Mk3 Anti-Ship Missiles, Navy recognition, 8 June 2016.
  13. ↑ Struckhof, Detlef (22 January 2009). "Warum Korvetten Schiffe und keine Boote sind" [Why corvettes are ships and not boats] (in German). Presse- und Informationszentrum Marine. Retrieved 3 February 2010.
  14. ↑ "Wehrdisziplinarordnung (WDO)" (in German). German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  15. ↑ "K130 Braunschweig Class Corvette". Naval Technology. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
  16. ↑ "K130 Braunschweig class". Navy Recognition. 13 August 2013. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
  17. ↑ "Milliardenprojekt Korvette 130: Pannenserie reißt nicht ab - Marineinspekteur fordert schärfere Kontrolle". Norddeutcher Rundfunk via PressPortal (in German). 20 June 2011. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  18. ↑ Azulai, Yuval (11 May 2015). "Israel signs €430m deal for German patrol vessels". Globes. Archived from the original on 13 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  19. ↑ Israeli Navy Marks Milestones at German Shipyards, By: Barbara Opall-Rome, 4 August 2016
  20. ↑ "Germany's K130 corvette construction award violates public procurement law, says tribunal - Naval Technology". Naval Technology. 21 May 2017.
  21. 1 2 "Germany awards €2.4bln contract for five new K130 corvettes". Naval Today.
  22. ↑ Kopp, Martin (13 September 2017). "Riesenauftrag von Bundeswehr: Blohm+Voss auf Jahre gerettet" (in German). Hamburger Abendblatt.
  23. ↑ "Four Shipyards Agree to Build New German Corvettes". www.defense-aerospace.com. 9 April 2018.
  24. ↑ "Wie Blohm+Voss vom Bau neuer Korvetten profitiert". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 6 April 2018.
  25. ↑ Editorial, Defense Brief (14 July 2021). "Germany begins construction of fourth of five new K130 corvettes". Defense Brief. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
  26. ↑ WDR, Manuel Bewarder, NDR/WDR und Florian Flade. "Sabotage an neuem Kriegsschiff "Emden"?". tagesschau.de (in German). Retrieved 26 February 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  27. ↑ "Bundeswehr soll neue Korvetten bekommen" [Bundeswehr to get new corvettes], N-TV (in German), 15 October 2016, retrieved 19 August 2024
  28. ↑ ES&T editorial team (4 May 2023). "Corvettes K 130: Second unit of the second batch christened". Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  29. 1 2 "FGS Braunschweig (F260) Corvette Warship". www.militaryfactory.com. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  30. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Braunschweig-Klasse K130". www.bundeswehr.de (in German). 5 November 2019. Archived from the original on 9 August 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  31. 1 2 "Deutsche Korvette Magdeburg 2025 in Stralsund". www.modellmarine.de. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Corvette Erfurt (F 262)".
  33. 1 2 "Corvette Oldenburg (F 263)".
  34. 1 2 Kölbl, Andreas. "Korvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein (F 264)". www.schiffsspotter.de. Archived from the original on 14 April 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  35. ↑ "Neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr beauftragt" (PDF). 12 September 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 July 2024.
  36. ↑ ES&T Redaktion (26 April 2019). "Kiellegung Korvette "Köln"" (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  37. ↑ "Fünfte Korvette getauft! Programm komplett - Wehrtechnik" (in German). 30 April 2026. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  38. ↑ Gain, Nathan (2 February 2020). "Lürssen laid keel of second K130 Batch 2 corvette 'Emden'". Naval News. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  39. ↑ "Warship construction: Christening of the corvette "Emden"". www.bundeswehr.de. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  40. ↑ "Warship construction: Christening of the corvette "Emden"". www.bundeswehr.de. 5 May 2023. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 13 August 2026.
  41. ↑ admin (23 May 2026). "German Navy Assumes Operational Control of Karlsruhe Corvette". MilitaryLeak.COM. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "Keel laid for German Navy's 8th K130 corvette". navaltoday.com. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  43. ↑ Onlineredaktion, Navid LinnemannLeiter (7 May 2024). "Korvette Karlsruhe F 267 – nächstes Kriegsschiff getauft" (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  44. ↑ "The keel of the ninth K-130 class corvette for the German Navy has been laid". ВПК.name. 16 July 2021. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  45. ↑ Staff, Naval News (12 May 2025). "NVL christens the fourth K130 Batch-II corvette for the German Navy". Naval News. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "neue Korvette – Fregatte "Lübeck"" (in German). Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  47. ↑ Manuel, Rojoef (30 April 2026). "German Navy Christens Final Braunschweig Corvette". The Defense Post. Retrieved 15 August 2026.

Bibliography

  • Warship International Staff (2007). "First of the German K 130 Class". Warship International. XLIV (4): 364–365. ISSN 0043-0374.
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