Blohm + Voss has just celebrated the keel laying for the first of four 125-class (F125) frigates in its building dock 12 in Hamburg. The ceremony was organized by the F125 Work Group (ARGE F125), consisting of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems AG – who commissioned Blohm + Voss Naval GmbH to complete the order – and Friedrich Lürssen Werft GmbH & Co. The keel laying follows a three-year design phase and six months of construction of the first section.
The frigate is designed and equipped for deployment as part of allied defense missions and crisis prevention, as well as supporting humanitarian rescue missions, counter-terrorism and combating so-called asymmetric threats.
According to B+V, the mission versatility of the frigate is matched by an innovative crewing model and state-of-the art technology, allowing for longer mission durations despite considerably reduced crew numbers
The building contract signed in June 2007 stipulates the production of four 125-class frigates, which are to be delivered to the German navy between spring 2016 and 2018.
