Type 332 Frankenthal class MHC

Sea mines are a great danger and an incalculable risk for all ships. The specialists in dealing with this threat in the German Navy are the Frankenthal-class boats. Your skills or methods: targeted mine hunting and large-scale mine clearance. All ten mine-hunting boats of the type MJ332 initially have a sonar for the search for potential mines. Underwater drones of the Seefuchs type can then precisely identify and destroy the explosive devices - regardless of whether they are ground mines or anchor mines. Three boats of the variant MJ332CL can also use up to four surface drones of the seal type. These remotely controlled mine clearance boats simulate sound and magnetic field signatures of large ships and detonate mines.

When the technology reaches its limits, the Frankenthal boats use mine divers. This is the case, for example, in shallow waters, in poor sonar conditions, in ports or where mines are located near pipelines or underwater cables. Two of the boats, the MJ332B mine diving rescue boats, can accommodate larger groups of these specialists from the sea battalion. In order to avoid the danger of mines, the boats can go on extremely quiet crawl speed and have a hull made of non-magnetic steel. In addition, they have a magnetic self-protection system that actively suppresses remaining magnetic fields that are generated by the electrical and electronic systems on board. Last but not least, the mine hunters can lay sea mines themselves in order to block waterways in a targeted manner or to protect their own ports against enemy warships.

As part of the further modernization of the German Armed Forces mine a total of 12 new mine hunting boats "Frankenthal" class (MJ 332) were put into service between 1992 and 1998. Using the "Hameln" class (SM 343) introduced unit platform hull is made of non-magnetizable steel in proven manner forms the basis for an optimized on the mine hunting system as a whole.

The boats of the FRANKENTHAL, KULMBACH and ENSDORF classes are based ona common platform and are all made of non-magnetic steel. They use the Sonar DSQS 11 M with digital signal processor and synthetic image display. The boats are equipped with two mine-hunting drones of the PENGUIN B3 type. The cCrew also include trained dete mine divers who identify mines and can blow them up. On board is a diving pressure chamber that shows signs the diving illness is used immediately. The units BAD BEVENSEN, GRÖMITZ, BAD RAPPENAU and DATTELN are for an operation within the naval protection forces provided.

In addition to a sonar system for locating mine similar objects also include a management and information processing system (IMCMS) and via a cable remote-controlled mine hunting drone (type "Sea Fox"), with high-resolution short-range sonar and video camera. Previously geortete underwater objects may be using the drone visually identified and destroyed.

The mine countermeasures are difficult to access and narrow spaces, as to be able to scan port entrances and quays, include a Minentaucher Einsatzgruppe and a diver pressure chambe. The mine clearance divers have special training for the elimination of ordnance of all kinds. They are used under the search, rescue and recovery service, as well as for salvaging flight recorders of crashed aircraft.

The boats "Bad Rappenau" and "Rottweil" easily be converted used as Minentauchereinstzboot to combat mines in shallow waters. The boats are on the Flotilla. 1 stationed in Kiel.

By June 2021 Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer and the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) are trying to get as many of the planned military procurement projects under one roof as possible : a total of 31 so-called € 25 million templates - if an armament project exceeds this price threshold, it has to Parliamentary Budget Committee - should be confirmed in the last two weeks of parliamentary session before the summer break (23rd & 25th calendar week) by the members of the two committees for budget and defense.

The Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) announced the “Mine Hunting Boat Class 332 C” project for the 20th calendar week, but was not presented to the MPs in a timely manner. It remains to be seen whether the project will be submitted in the remaining meeting weeks. The number of projects alone represents a technical challenge for parliamentary operations. The MPs of the coalition parties also see it that way and have asked the minister to submit a detailed financing plan for all affected projects as soon as possible. In itself, this is a remarkable process and, at least in recent history, unique!

On 09 July 2021 the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) with the company Atlas Elektronik a contract with an order volume of 44 million euros on procurement. The management and weapon deployment systems for the mine-hunting boats are closed. The mine hunting boats DILLINGEN, HOMBURG, SULZBACH-ROSENBERG, FULDA and WEILHEIM of the Frankenthal class (MJ332) will be in the years 2022 to 2025 with the most modern version of the command and control system IMCMS (Integrated Mine Countermeasures System).

“With the conversion of another five boats to the latest generation of IMCMS takes the next step towards standardizing technology for fighting sea mines on mine hunting boats and for cross-sectional the training and testing system IMCMS", said the responsible project manager at BAAINBw.

During mine hunting, the mine-hunting boat drives along calculated paths through the minefield and detects suspicious objects. Does the detection correspond to certain specifications, the mine destruction drone Seefuchs comes to the classification or to combat use. In certain situations, the ships mine divers are used. As an indispensable prerequisite for safe operation in use, during exercises and in terms of training, the new IMCMS with all hardware and software components meet the requirements for information security.