Germany’s F126 delays open the door for Rheinmetall’s naval ambitions
The specifications of the F126 frigate from Damen include a length of 166m and a crew of 198. (Photo: Damen)
Germany’s F126 frigate crisis has handed Rheinmetall an opening it had been working towards for years, and the company intends to make the most of it.
As Berlin weighs a reported €12 billion (US$13.95 billion) proposal from Rheinmetall to rescue the beleaguered F126 frigate programme, the question being asked is no longer whether the ships can be saved, but who, ultimately, will own Germany’s naval future.
The answer, with increasing clarity, appears to be Rheinmetall.
The F126, also known as MKS 180, was conceived as the most capable surface combatant Germany had ever attempted. Displacing approximately 10,000t, the vessel is designed to carry anti-aircraft missiles of both medium and short-range, long-range sea target missiles, a 127mm main gun, water cannons, heavy machine guns and light naval
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