Europe’s naval contractors benefit from growing refit and upgrade demand
Rheinmetall has secured a contract to modernise the German Navy’s F123-class frigate Bayern. (Photo: Defense Visual Information Distribution Service)
Rheinmetall’s order to modernise the German Navy frigate Bayern points to a wider European shift towards extending warship service life as new-build programmes face delay.
Rheinmetall’s order to overhaul the German Navy frigate Bayern in practice captures a trend under way across European navies: whilst waiting for new ships to arrive, navies increasingly need to keep older platforms operational for longer.
At the end of Q2 2026, Rheinmetall was awarded a contract worth in the region of several hundred million euros to modernise the 143m-long Bayern, a Class 123 frigate commissioned in 1996.
Under the deal, the vessel is due to remain operational until at least 2035, with its capability profile adapted to current requirements.
Renewal not replacement
The modernisation, to be completed by
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