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. A spokesperson for the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information
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