Braunschweig-class corvette
History
Germany
NameKöln
NamesakeKöln
OrderedSeptember 2017
BuilderLürssen-Werft, Bremen
Cost€400 million
Laid down25 April 2019
Launched30 October 2020
CommissionedExpected, 2025
IdentificationPennant number: F265
StatusSea trials
General characteristics
TypeBraunschweig-class corvette
Displacement1,840 tonnes (1,810 long tons)
Length89.12 m (292 ft 5 in)
Beam13.28 m (43 ft 7 in)
Draft3.4 m (11 ft 2 in)
Propulsion2 MTU 20V 1163 TB 93 diesel engines producing 14.8MW, driving two controllable-pitch propellers.
Speed26 knots (48 km/h; 30 mph)
Range4,000 nmi (7,400 km) at 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph)[1]
Endurance7 days; 21 days with tender
Complement65 : 1 commander, 10 officers, 16 chief petty officers, 38 enlisted
Sensors and
processing systems
Electronic warfare
& decoys
Armament
Aircraft carriedHelicopter pad and hangar for two Saab Skeldar

Köln (F265) is the sixth ship of the Braunschweig-class corvette of the German Navy.

Developments

The K130 Braunschweig class (sometimes Korvette 130) is Germany's newest class of ocean-going corvettes. Five ships have replaced the Gepard-class fast attack craft of the German Navy.

They feature reduced radar and infrared signatures ("stealth" beyond the Sachsen-class frigates) and will be equipped with two helicopter UAVs for remote sensing. Recently, the German Navy ordered a first batch of two UMS Skeldar V-200 systems for the use on the Braunschweig-class corvettes.[2] The hangar is too small for standard helicopters, but the pad is large enough for Sea Kings, Lynx, or NH-90s, the helicopters of the German Navy.

The German Navy has ordered the RBS-15 Mk4 in advance, which will be a future development of the Mk3 with increased range —400 km (250 mi)— and a dual seeker for increased resistance to electronic countermeasures.[3] The RBS-15 Mk3 has the capability to engage land targets.[4]

In October 2016 it was announced that a second batch of five more frigates is to be procured from 2022 to 2025.[5] The decision was in response to NATO requirements expecting Germany to provide a total of four corvettes at the highest readiness level for littoral operations by 2018, and with only five corvettes just two can be provided.[6]

In September 2017, the German Navy commissioned the construction of five more corvettes in a consortium of North German shipyards. Lürssen will be the main contractor in the production of the vessels. The contract is worth around 2 billion euros.[7][8] In April 2018, the German government announced the specific arrangements under which the five new K130s would be built.[9][10]

Construction and career

Köln's construction started in February and later laid down on 25 April 2019 by Lürssen-Werft in Bremen.[11] Her forecastle was built by Blohm+Voss and towed to Bremen to be assembled and launched on 20 October 2020.[12][13] She had been expected to be commissioned in 2023. However, in September 2022 it was reported that increasing difficulties in integrating the command and control systems for the Batch 2 ships had resulted in a cost growth of 401 million Euros and at least a two year delay for the completion of Köln.[14]

As of 31 October 2020, she was fitting out at Hamburg.[15] She began initial sea trials in July 2023, though her projected full in service date likely remained 2025.[16]

References

  1. ↑ "Corvette Braunschweig Handed Over" (Press release). ThyssenKrupp AG. 30 January 2008. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  2. ↑ BAAINBw Procures New Helicopter Drones for the Navy, Baainbw, 27 September 2018, retrieved 2 March 2019.
  3. ↑ "de:Neue Aufgaben der Marine mit moderner Ausrüstung" (in German). German Navy. 17 May 2004. Retrieved 14 May 2015.
  4. ↑ German Navy K130 Corvettes Ready for Saab RBS-15 Mk3 Anti-Ship Missiles, Navy recognition, 8 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Fünf neue Korvetten für die Bundeswehr", Faz.
  6. ↑ "German Navy to Get Five More K130 Braunschweig-class Corvettes", Navy recognition, 14 November 2016.
  7. ↑ "Germany awards €2.4bln contract for five new K130 corvettes". Naval Today.
  8. ↑ Kopp, Martin (13 September 2017). "Riesenauftrag von Bundeswehr: Blohm+Voss auf Jahre gerettet" (in German). Hamburger Abendblatt.
  9. ↑ "Four Shipyards Agree to Build New German Corvettes". www.defense-aerospace.com. April 9, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Wie Blohm+Voss vom Bau neuer Korvetten profitiert". Hamburger Abendblatt (in German). 6 April 2018.
  11. ↑ "First Steel Cut for German Navy's Third K130 Batch 2 Corvette 'Karlsruhe'". Naval News. 2020-08-13. Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  12. ↑ "Vor- und Hinterschiff vereint: Korvette komplett! | Regional". bild.de (in German). Retrieved 2020-12-10.
  13. ↑ chiefdeunavy [@chiefdeunavy] (October 16, 2020). "Ich habe noch eine richtig gute Nachricht zum Wochenende. Die Korvette #KÖLN #F265 ist ausgedockt. #Esgehtvoran #WIRSINDMARINE https://t.co/xncbzBaSKc" (Tweet) (in German). Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  14. ↑ "Germany's K130 Batch 2 Corvette Program 2 Years Behind Schedule". 17 October 2022.
  15. ↑ WarshipCam [@WarshipCam] (October 31, 2020). "German Navy future Braunschweig-class corvette FGS Koln (F265) in Hamburg, Germany - taken from bridge cam of passing cruise ship - October 31, 2020 #koln #f265 https://t.co/C7sGtUPHm8" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 January 2021 – via Twitter.
  16. ↑ Groizeleau, Vincent (12 July 2023). "La nouvelle corvette allemande à la mer". Mer et Marine.
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