Frigate fiasco in Kiel: Construction projects threaten to fail!

Frigate fiasco in Kiel: Construction projects threaten to fail!

Kiel, Deutschland - The construction of six new frigates in the F126 class for the German Navy is in a serious crisis. The project in the German Naval Yards in Kiel has been stalling for a year, and more and more questions remain unclear. There are discussions about this billion -dollar order on a possible cancellation on the part of the federal government. KN online Shipbuilding B.V. is faced with considerable IT problems that could delay the delivery of the ships. The economic situation of the company is precarious and inevitably leads to fears about the future of the project.

originally advertised in January 2020 and won for the construction of four MKS180 naval beam ships for 5.2 billion euros, the project was increased due to geopolitical developments, in particular the Russian war of aggression on Ukraine. This resulted in the order to manufacture the frigates F126. The Dutch parliament approved a bridging loan of 270 million euros to support women in this critical phase.

delays and uncertainty

The Federal Ministry of Defense is faced with further delays. As n-tv , the first frigate was originally handed over to the marine in 2028. The problems that hinder the work are largely due to difficulties in the IT cutting position of the women's shipyard. The ministry has provided information about these delays, but there are still no details on the extent or possible cost increases.

In the current situation, it is questionable when the first ship will actually be ready for use. Insiders estimate that the earliest date must now be dated to 2030. For a project that includes a budget of nine billion euros, this is an alarming message. The delays in the construction in particular are also a sign of the complicated cooperation between the women's shipyard and the German shipyards involved, so that the Bundeswehr arms authority cannot offer any clear answers. Image emphasizes that the contract demands at least 70 percent of the work in Germany.

In the meantime, there is no choice but to continue working with the existing frigates such as the "Schleswig-Holstein" and to modernize them. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius has already raised the alarm and can be regularly informed about the progress. Vice-Miral Jan C. Kaack is frustrated by the situation, but is already looking at future projects, such as the F127 frigates from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, which could possibly lead out of this predicament.

The challenges in frigate construction are a clear sign of the problems with which the German marine has to deal. It remains to be seen whether the passionate hope of the new ships will be fulfilled or the project will ultimately be canceled.