Feature 4 | GERMANY
German naval programme in transition
Th e German Navy (Bundesmarine) has seen a radical change in its role
over the past two decades and its current and planned inventory refl ect
this change.
uring the Cold War the with a combat management system partly The general-purpose force, eight
Bundesmarine was largely based upon Dutch technology. Bremen (F122) and four Brandenburgs
Dconfined to operations over Much of the equipment is shared with also suff er from this problem. All these
the Continental Shelf off Norway and the Dutch De Zeven Provincien class ships have been regularly upgraded and
the in the North Sea as well as the Baltic (which are also essentially destroyers), the Bremens are to get a new combat
and its approaches. It did however, have including Raytheon Standard Missile 2 management system, Sabrina 21 which
a role in anti-submarine operations off (SM 2) area defence surface-to-air missiles. is also based upon Dutch technology,
the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom Currently both classes are anti-air warfare a new IFF system, Rheinmetall MASS
(GIUK) Gap. ships but the sensor/command systems decoy launchers, a Rheinmetall MSP 500
Like most European navies its have a ballistic missile capability and they electro-optical director and 27mm MLG
post-Cold War posture has turned could operate the modifi ed SM 2 Block 27 guns with FGS Bremen being the fi rst
towards expeditionary operations outside IV, which has demonstrated the ability to complete her upgrade this year and
NATO’s traditional theatre. Yet in some to intercept Tactical-Operational Level FGS Köln being the last in 2011.
ways this has had less impact than upon ballistic missiles such as Scud. The Brandenburg’s anti-submarine
other navies. Unlike the Royal Netherlands Navy, the warfare capability is being upgraded in
Th e current force structure consists of Bundesmarine does not appear interested a programme, which begins this year
15 frigates, a dozen submarines, 10 fast in improving its land-attack capability by and will be completed in 2014 and has
attack craft, 20 mine countermeasures purchasing Raytheon Tomahawk Block already seen work on the DSQS-23BZ
vessels with support ships and auxiliaries. IV land-attack missiles nor is there any bow sonar. Th e programme is likely to
Th e three Sachsen (F124) class frigates are plan to acquire Boeing Harpoon Block include the Atlas Low Frequency Towed
destroyers in all but name with a hull based III with a limited land-attack capability. Active Sonar (LFTAS) already trialled in
on that of the Brandenburg (F123) class The Sachsens’ ability to support land FGS Bayern.
and an electronics suite largely developed operations is further undermined by the Phase 3 of the programme will begin
in collaboration with the Dutch including installation of an Oto Melara 76mm gun in 2012 to improve both anti-air warfare
Th ales Nederland APAR and Smart radars with very limited range. and anti-surface warfare capabilities
The Brandenburg class frigate FGS Bayern (F-217). Ships of this class are being upgraded with enhance bow sonar and, possibly, the
Atlas LFTAS, which was trialled on Bayern
26 Warship Technology July/August 2008
WWTJul-Aug08_p26+28+30.indd Sec1:26TJul-Aug08_p26+28+30.indd Sec1:26 77/22/08 7:25:15 PM/22/08 7:25:15 PM
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40