F126 frigate

	Preliminary CGI of the final design by Damen
Class overview
Builders	Damen Group/Blohm + Voss/Lürssen/German Naval Yards/Peene Werft
Operators	German Navy
Preceded by	Baden-Württemberg class
Cost	€5.47 billion (2020) (equivalent to €5.64 billion in 2021) for 4 units including training facilities ; €2.88 billion (2024) for 2 units ; €1.39 billion (2020) (equivalent to €1.43 billion in 2021) per unit;
Built	2023-Present
In service	2028
In commission	2027
Planned	6 ordered
Building	1
General characteristics
Type	Frigate/destroyer
Displacement	10,550 tonnes
Length	166 m (544 ft 7 in)
Beam	21.7 m (71 ft 2 in)
Height	< 39 m (127 ft 11 in)
Draft	5.9 m (19 ft 4 in)
Ice class	ICE 1C/E1
Installed power	~ 32 MW (43,000 hp)
Propulsion	CODLAD:; 4 × MTU 20V 4000 M65L gensets; 2 × MAN Energy Solutions 32/44CR electric drive motors ; Renk gearbox system; Renk electric drive motors; ABB transformers and integrated DC grid; 4 × ABB lithium-ion battery modules ;
Speed	Over 26 kn (48 km/h; 30 mph) (maximum sustained speed) ; 11.5 kn (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) (electric propulsion cruise speed);
Range	> 4,000 nmi (7,400 km; 4,600 mi) at 18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph) speed
Endurance	21 days
Boats & landing; craft carried	At least 2 × 10 m rigid-hull inflatable boat), with space in the rear for 1 × additional one depending on mission
Capacity	Accommodation for 84 additional crew, e.g. special forces or signals intelligence specialists
Complement	114
Sensors &; processing systems	Combat management system:; Thales Tacticos; Radars:; 1 × Hensoldt TRS-4D NR multi-function surveillance radar; 1 × Thales X-band APAR Block 2 multi-function fire radar; Electro-optical systems:; Thales Mirador MK2 EO tracking and observation system; Thales Gatekeeper 360° IR/TV system; Sonar:; ATLAS ELEKTRONIK anti-submarine warfare mission modules with an active/passive low frequency variable depth towed sonar ; Communication:; Thales SurfSAT-L satellite communication; Navigation suite: ; OSI Maritime Systems: Integrated Bridge Management Systems (IBMS);
Electronic warfare; & decoys	Decoys (radar, IR, laser); Rohde & Schwarz KORA 40 communications and radar ESM; ELINT systems and facilities;
Armament	Missiles:; 16 × cells Mk 41 VLS for up to 64 ESSM Block 2B medium-range air defence missiles; 2 × RIM-116 RAM CIWS launchers for up to 21 × short-range air-defence missiles each; 2 × Kongsberg Naval Strike Missile launchers, for up to 8 NSM Block 1a cruise missiles each (anti-ship and land attack missiles); Cannons:; 1 × OTO 127/64 LW Vulcano naval gun with Vulcano guided ammunition; 2 × Rheinmetall MLG27-4.0 SeaSnake 27×145 mm RCWS; 2 × Leonardo LIONFISH 12.7 Top 12.7×99mm NATO RCWS; 12.7 mm Leonardo heavy machine guns; Water guns and long range acoustic device;
Aircraft carried	2 × NH90 Sea Tiger (ASW / ASuW); Saab Skeldar unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV);
Aviation facilities	Aircraft hangar for 2 helicopters and UAV
Notes	Designed to be continuously deployed with minimal maintenance for up to two years and operate for 5000 hours per year

F126 or Niedersachsen-class frigate (Fregatte 126) is a planned German frigate class intended to replace the F123 Brandenburg-class frigates in the German Navy. The ships are to be the largest surface warships to join the German Navy since World War II. The first ship, Niedersachsen, is planned to be commissioned in 2028, with Saarland, Bremen, and Thüringen to follow. On 8 April 2024, Germany exercised their option and purchased an additional two frigates. The contract for two additional F126 frigates was signed on 19 June 2024.

Until 1 January 2021, the project was known under the working title MKS 180 or Multi-Purpose Combat Ship 180 (Mehrzweckkampfschiff 180), with 180 indicating the class’s planned complement.