Germany scraps its biggest warship project since WWII

According to Clash Report, the scrapped project involved building six F126 frigates, the largest warship commissioned by the German navy since World War II. We are observing one of the most severe procurement setbacks in recent German history. That is because the order was placed in June 2020 and €2 billion had already been spent on the project. Not only that, Rheinmetall was anticipated to lead the procurement of new frigates under a €12.8 billion deal. The decision to cancel the project will thus hit that contractor in particular.

The F126 was designed to operate as a multipurpose vessel capable of prolonged deployments at sea. It was supposed to be 166 metres long and weigh 10,000 tonnes. The contract was originally won in 2020 by Dutch shipyard Damen Naval to build four frigates, later expanded by two more vessels. The project faced multiple delays and budget overruns driven by software issues and communication-related problems between the Dutch shipyard and Germany’s defence procurement agency. Unable to solve the conflict, both sides decided to transfer the lead contractor role from Damen to Rheinmetall. However, German politicians were not keen on the contractor’s offer after being presented with a €12.8 billion price tag and an unacceptable timeline for delivering the vessels. Thus, the project has ultimately failed.

The alternative is sought in smaller vessels. Berlin intends to purchase eight smaller Meko A-200 frigates. The decision comes as Germany, along with many other European states, is modernising its military in response to a possible threat from Russia. Berlin plans on investing about €780 billion by 2030. Defence investments and setbacks are not only affecting states’ security but also their relations with partners and rivals. The information about the scrapping of the F126 project comes not long after a joint French-German FCAS project failure.