Brandenburg-class (F123)
Summary
| Origin country | 🇩🇪 Germany |
| Category | Frigate |
| Subtype | Anti-submarine guided-missile frigate |
| Manufacturer | Blohm + Voss, Howaldtswerke, Nordseewerke, Bremer Vulkan |
| Year commissioned | 1994 |
| Approx. unit cost | $325 million |
| Units | F215 BRANDENBURG, F216 SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN, F217 BAYERN, F218 MECKLENBURG-VORPOMMERN |
| Current operators | 🇩🇪 Germany |
Description
The F123 Brandenburg class comprises German frigates designed chiefly for anti-submarine warfare (ASW). These ships were ordered in June 1989, with the intention of replacing the aging Hamburg-class destroyers. The Brandenburg-class vessels were completed and commissioned between 1994 and 1996. Apart from ASW, they are also tasked with local anti-aircraft defense, squadron tactical command, and surface-to-surface warfare. The class, alongside the F124 Sachsen-class frigates, forms the core of the German surface fleet.
The need for the Brandenburg class arose from the technological obsolescence of the Hamburg-class destroyers by the 1980s. Given their outdated systems, which included the lack of an on-board helicopter and reliance on steam turbines, a more advanced replacement became essential. The German Navy opted for a new design from Blohm + Voss, rejecting an updated variant of the Bremen class proposed by Bremer Vulkan. Despite previous collaboration between the two companies on an F123 design, there was contention on design ownership.
The design of these frigates incorporated signature reduction measures, significantly lowering their radar profile compared to their predecessors. They use a combined diesel or gas propulsion system, achieving a maximum speed of over 29 knots.
The Brandenburg class is armed with Mark 46 torpedoes, Sea Sparrow missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, a 76mm naval gun, MLG27 autocannons, and machine guns. The torpedoes are deployable via onboard Sea Lynx helicopters or twin launchers, and the Sea Sparrow missiles are housed in Mark 41 vertical launching systems, with the potential for expansion. The air defense capabilities are bolstered by RAM launchers.
The ships are equipped with Thales Nederland air search and multi-function radars, STIR 180 fire control radars, and Raytheon navigation radars. They feature EADS FL-1800S ECM suites and an Atlas Elektronik bow sonar for submarine detection, with some units having tested prototype sonars like the TASS 6-3.
A modernization effort beginning in 2010, the Fähigkeitsanpassung FüWES (FAF) project, focused on the ships' combat management systems. Upgrades included the SABRINA 21 version of the Thales Nederland TACTICOS system and IFF radar improvements, with primary radars remaining unchanged. Later, Saab was contracted in July 2021 to deliver and install their radars and combat management system, which will replace some of the existing sensors.
All vessels of the class bear the names of German Bundesländer and are stationed with the 2nd Frigate Squadron in Wilhelmshaven. Although primarily designed for ASW, they have been involved in various operational activities. Notably, the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern collided with the container ship Nordic Bremen in 2015, and the Bayern undertook an Indo-Pacific deployment from August 2021 to February 2022, following Japan's invitation for German naval collaboration in East Asia.
Technical specifications
| Brandenburg | |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 4900 tons |
| Range | 7000 km at 18 knots |
| Crew | 219 members |
| Width | 16.7 m (54.8 ft) |
| Length | 138.85 m (455.5 ft) |
| Air Park | 2 Sea Lynx Mk.88A or 2 NH90 helicopters |
| Propulsion | 2 General Electric LM 2500 gas turbines with a power of 51,680 hp - 2 propellers |
| Thrust | 3000 hp |
| Armament | 1 VLS with 16 cells Sea Sparrow SAM; 2 RAM launchers (21 missiles each); 4 Exocet SSM; 1 Otobreda 76 mm gun; 2 MLG 27 autocannons; 4 324 mm torpedo tubes with Mk46 Mod 2 torpedoes |
| Maximum speed | 29 knots |