Deutsche Marine - Modernization

As part of the realignment of the Bundeswehr all ongoing defense projects were reviewed in 2011. Accordingly, various courses of action were developed in the Department of Defense. The overall objective is to adequately equip the Bundeswehr from the deployment and simultaneously to gain free space planning for future projects. The Defence Minister Thomas de Maizière approved on 14 October 2011 a plan that included both a change in the number of weapons to be procured as well as a reduction of the already deployed weapons systems.

The Navy will operate as planned eight maritime patrol aircraft P-3C Orion. In the Marine helicopters 30 new instead of existing Seaking 21 and 22 Sea Lynx are planned. The number of frigates F123 remains at four, the three at the F124 and F125 at the four. The eight F122 however were to be decommissioned. The plans for the new multi-purpose combat ship 180 were changed from eight to six units. The number of planned Corvettes remained at five and U212 submarines at six.

By 2015 there was an impending shortage of materiel. In the medium term, almost every other ship is to be decommissioned. So, among other things, all the speed boats in the fleet disappear, and the number of minesweepers is to be reduced to half. From 2012-2015 five frigates were scrapped, and by 2020 a further three. The four successor models are available from 2017 at the earliest, more likely later. By 2016 eight speedboats and ten mine warfare boats also go out of service. According to the plans of the Defense Ministry, the Navy will in future feature only be about 50 "floating units", including all supply ships.

The Speedboats were for decades the workhorses of the Navy. Lovingly they were also called "Baltic-Rocker," "sauce-boat" or "S-Pütz". Now the last eight speedboats will be out of service at the end of 2016. Until then, they were used for training purposes. Once the speed boats were designed under the influence of the East-West conflict for the Baltic Sea. With the political turn, the tasks of the Navy have changed. Now the security of international sea routes will be monitored, such as in the Atalanta mission. Therefore, the average 30-year old speedboats are replaced by modern corvettes. The corvettes "Braunschweig" class K 130 are optimized for the tasks in the marginal seas and coastal waters.

The Navy will improve its future robustness and sustainability with the Type K-130 corvettes. The corvettes will be capable of precision target engagement ashore, thus supporting joint operations from the sea. The Type F125 frigates will be a completely new type of vessel, designed especially for prolonged stabilisation operations. Thanks to innovative concepts for operational deployment, the ship will be able to remain on station in the area of operations for up to two years.

Type 212A submarines will maintain a capability for submarine operations in the long term. Their capabilities include antisurface operations, insertion of special forces, plus intelligence collection and reconnaissance. These submarines, together with the P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, frigates, and shipborne helicopters needed for effective engagement of submarines, make up a three-dimensional antisubmarine warfare net.

With its Type 702 combat support ships the German Navy ensures logistic and medical support for prolonged operations. Combat support ships can also be used to support joint operations, as well as humanitarian assistance and evacuation operations. What is more, they can serve as a command platform during joint operations. Depending on the type of operation necessary, they can be equipped with an operations centre, or alternatively, with a mobile naval surgical hospital.

The procurement of the MH-90 naval helicopter will mean the future availability of powerful and efficient shipboard helicopters for the German Navy. The Type F124 frigates have improved the Navy’s air defence capabilities against aircraft and missiles and contribute to maritime theatre ballistic missile defence. They thus help to protect own forces, the civilian population, economic centres and conurbations on land.