NVL Group begins construction of final German corvette
The K130 boats (six to ten) will be delivered between 2023 and 2025. (Photo: NVL Group)
NVL Group has announced the keel laying of the final Class 130 corvette for the German Navy, indicating the platform production of the five new ships is in its final stages.
The new corvettes, boats six to ten, are manufactured under the leadership of NVL Group, formerly Lürssen Defence, by the K130 consortium, consisting of NVL Group, thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and German Naval Yards Kiel.
Parallel to the keel laying of the stern, the last foredeck was put in place at the Kiel shipyard of German Naval Yards. The foredeck and avert ships are to be moved to Hamburg for the merger.
In Hamburg, the 89m-long corvettes are put into operation and begin to undergo their functional tests with the appropriate authorities.
Currently, boats six, seven and eight are in different stages of final equipment, while boat nine is in the production phase – this keel laying represents boat ten's introduction to the production phase.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, the K130 corvettes, based on the Braunschweig-class, have been designed with stealth features, low draft and automated weapon and defence systems to support littoral warfare.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Naval Warfare
-
US Pentagon claims to have severely damaged Iranian capabilities, promises to increase attacks
US military authorities claim to have sunk 20 Iranian vessels and destroyed Tehran’s Air Force, with the Pentagon making plans to send additional assets to the region.
-
Greece’s newly commissioned FDI frigate deployed to Cyprus
The recent naval modernisation efforts by the Hellenic Navy have been bolstered by the acquisition of advanced Naval Group frigates, the first of which was delivered in December 2025 and is now playing a crucial role in the latest Middle East conflict.
-
US Navy SPY-6 approaches FRP with Raytheon already having “a hot production line”
Jen Gauthier, Raytheon’s VP of Naval Systems and Sustainment, told Shephard that the company is awaiting the US Navy’s green light to move “fully into full-rate production”.
-
Ireland releases maritime strategy as it looks to new naval bases and stronger partnerships
Ireland has a maritime area ten times the size of its land mass but has a limited naval capacity and faces an ongoing threat to critical underwater infrastructure. A new strategy is looking to address the challenge.
-
What capabilities are being tested under AUKUS Pillar II?
Collaboration on AUKUS Pillar II extends beyond the core trilateral agreement, presenting global opportunities for companies with advanced technologies.